Alexis Beaufils is the World's Best Confectioner. The title was awarded to him at the end of October 2022, right after he and his fellow confectioner Florence Lesage won the international competition le Mondial des Arts Sucrés at the Salon du Chocolat in Paris.

He mentioned this fantastic achievement when we talked about the details of his masterclass in Budapest. He is convinced that the award was the result of his excellent teachers and 4 years of hard work and perseverance. During the award ceremony, he thought of his first patron, pastry chef Bernard Holder, who encouraged him, straight after his pastry exams to try his luck in Paris. Mr Holder had a keen eye for talent, and Alexis immediately found a job at the prestigious Dallayou gastronomy house, alongside the famous pastry chef Yann Brys. He was excited to learn more when he went to the luxury Mandarin Oriental Hotel and then to the 3 Michelin-starred Le Pavillon Le Doyen restaurant, where he worked as a sous chef.

He was only 25 years old when he was invited to work at the Hotel Bristol. Since 2021 he has been the executive pastry chef of the Brach Paris Evok hotel group.

Many people believe in Paris that Alexis, 30, is one of the most important figures in the confectionery of the future. The title of World's Best Pastry chef is not his first professional recognition, he has already won several awards.

These achievements encourage him to develop his skills and find new challenges and goals. "Cake is a sweet that affects many of our senses,"

he says, "so I find the most complex task is to find the harmonious balance between the flavour and beauty of a cake. This is what I work on every day, and this is the focus of the masterclass programme. I'm also preparing two new desserts for the course, which will be improved versions

of two recipes presented at the world competition."