Brussels resident wins 2016 European Pastry Cup

Nicolas Arnaud, a French pastry chef based in Brussels, was selected as this year's European pastry art champion this week when his team won the gold medal at the bi-annual competition in Geneva. Arnaud will go on to represent Belgium at next year's World Pastry Cup in Lyon. Arnaud's patisserie is located in Rue Américaine in the Brussels commune of Ixelles.

The Belgian team was selected as the winner of the European competition following a tasting by the jury. The candidates had five hours to make a long list of dishes, including a sculpture made from a 23kg block of chocolate, two fruit desserts, 10 chocolate desserts and an artistic piece with sugar.

Denmark and Sweden tailed Belgium in second and third place, respectively. All three countries will represent Europe at the World Pastry Cup next year in January, where they will take on champion pastry teams from the rest of the world.