The is an annual competition to determine the best baguette in Paris. Its official name is (). First held in 1994, the competition is organized by the city of Paris in collaboration with the Confédération nationale de la boulangerie-pâtisserie française (National Confederation of French Bakeries and Patisseries). The winner receives a medal and a prize of 4,000 euros. The bakery is given the honor of becoming a supplier to the ÃÂlysée, the official residence of the President of France, for one year.
The competition has been organized by the Paris City Hall every year since 1994. It takes place on the premises of the Professional Chamber of Baker-Pastry Craftsmen, on the ÃÂle Saint-Louis. The jury of 15 members is made up of professionals, food journalists, and since 2020, six Parisians drawn by a lottery.
To be eligible for the prize, baguettes must measure between , weigh between and have a salt content of a level of of flour. Many of the baguettes fail to meet this standard and are immediately disqualified. Those that qualify are spread across three tables at which members of the jury are seated. The baguettes are numbered to guarantee anonymity. The selection criteria are doneness, crumb, taste, smell, and appearance. These qualities are scored between 0 and 4. The ten best are determined from each table for a total of 30. In the second round, the members of each table judge the 10 selected by the other two groups of jurors. From this final tasting, a winner is selected.
In addition to a medal and a prize of , the winner becomes a supplier to the ÃÂlysée for one year. Winners also benefit from recognition allowing them to increase turnover, with some seeing between a 15 to 25 percent increase in sales volume and some bakeries gaining international renown.