Continental Qualifiers Head to Ernest N. Morial Convention Centre The Pastry World Cup and Bocuse d'Or Americas selections will take place July 25-26 at the Ernest N. Morial Convention Centre in New Orleans. Seven pastry teams and eight chefs will compete for qualification to the Grand Finals, scheduled for January 2027 during Sirha Lyon.

Pastry Competitors Return with Experience Paraguay returns with an unchanged team after securing second place at the previous Americas selection. The country's competitors—Chiara Pederzani (chocolate), Johanna Borgognon (sugar), and Tomas Emanuel Arrua (ice)—bring experience from the 2025 Grand Final and aim to secure the top spot this year. The United States, hosting the 2026 selection, will field a team under new coach Stephane Cheramy, the newly appointed president of the CMP USA Club. The country is pursuing one of four qualifying places available. Peru is making a competitive return after being absent since 2020. The team consists of Nilkos Paul, Juan Carlos Lopez Guerrero, and Thaïs Jarufe Barrantes. On July 25, the seven pastry teams will have 5 hours and 30 minutes to present their work to a jury including artistic judges Diego Lozano and Luis Robledo Richard. Osvaldo Gross, named Best Pastry Chef in Latin America in 2014 and a member of the Académie Culinaire de France, will serve as Honorary President. Pierre Hermé is President of the Pastry World Cup.

Bocuse d'Or: Five Spots Available On July 26, eight chefs will compete for five qualifying positions in the Bocuse d'Or Grand Final. Each team comprises a chef, commis, coach, and jury member. Vincenzo Loseto will represent the United States, which won the previous continental selection. A staff member for Team USA in 2017, Loseto is seeking a second consecutive continental title and aims to replicate the U.S. podium finish achieved in 2017. Canada returns with Keith Pears, head chef and owner of Pears Restaurant in Markham, Ontario, who finished as runner-up at the 2024 Bocuse d'Or Americas. Ecuador makes its comeback after missing the 2024 edition. Chef and researcher Daniela Valverde Velez narrowly missed qualification in both 2018 and 2022 and is targeting Ecuador's first Grand Final appearance since 2011. Stefani De Palma, winner of the previous Americas selection and seventh-place finisher at the Grand Final, will serve as Jury President. E.J. Lagasse, 22-year-old head chef at Emeril's in New Orleans and the youngest chef ever to lead a restaurant with two Michelin stars, will serve as Honorary President. Jérôme Bocuse is President of the Bocuse d'Or, and Gavin Kaysen is Bocuse d'Or Americas President.

Why It Matters

These continental selections feed the only two competitions of their scale dedicated exclusively to pastry and haute cuisine technique. For participating chefs and pastry professionals, qualification to the Grand Finals represents significant career validation and attracts media, sponsor, and talent attention to their countries' culinary sectors.

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Written by FBM Publications Editors