Belgium's Pierre Marcolini crowned best pastry chef in the world

Belgian chocolatier Pierre Marcolini was named the best pastry chef in the world during the virtual edition of the World Pastry Stars (WPS) 2020 awards on Monday. The decision, by a jury made up of independent journalists, was unanimous.

The jury said that the award was a tribute to the virtuoso who has “internationally promoted the profession of pastry making through his creativity, his products, and his commercial and business value.”

Marcolini chooses his own cocoa beans to process them into chocolate in his studio in Haren and is known as the pioneer of the so-called bean-to-bar sourcing principle.

The WPS award, the most important international competition dedicated to pastry chefs, comes as House Pierre Marcolini celebrates its 25th anniversary.

Marcolini started his first business in Kraainem in Brussels in 1995, the year he first won the title of world pastry champion.

With the help of the city’s investment fund, the chocolatier was able to further develop his business and House Pierre Marcolini now has more than 40 stores in several countries including Belgium, France, the United Kingdom, Japan and China.