First Annual Le Grand Prix Elmendorf du Pain
Parisian Style Street Fair Come to East Cambridge on June 11th
What's more French than the storied baguette? A veritable sword of crusty bread crying out for a slather of butter or a dunk in Moules Marinières.
Perhaps you think this is a silly cliche, something Americans dreamt up over a couple glasses of wine and a showing of Ratatouille. You'd be wrong.
Bread really is a way of life in France, and the traditional baguette is a revered part of this tradition.
In fact every year more than a hundred Parisian bakeries drop off their baguettes for blind tasting in a massive competition called the Grand Prix de la Baguette.
This is the kind of event that inspires Miyazaki films and perhaps a few cases of Paris Syndrome. And from the moment we heard about this competition it's been stuck in our heads. We knew we needed to emulate it.
For years we've thought about hosting our own version of the competition but always shelved it for one reason or another. Well we're finally doing it and it's going to be a fête to remember!
So without further ado Elmendorf Baking Supplies and the East Cambridge Business Association are beyond excited to announce a new bread competition and Paris-inspired street festival we’re calling “Le Grand Prix Elmendorf du Pain”.
Calling All Bakers
Our competition is loosely based off the Parisian competition, which began in 1997. The French contest was the brainchild of then French president Jacques Chirac who wanted to combat what he saw as a degradation of French bread culture.
Every year more than 100 bakeries submit their baguettes for blind tasting and the winner becomes the official bread supplier of the French presidential residence.
We're taking things a bit lighter in our competition (but still pretty seriously!). For one thing there aren't hundreds of bakeries cranking our baguettes in the Boston area! At least not yet. A boy can dream right? Scroll Down For Sign Up Information
The Street Festival
Additional Information
What better way to highlight a bread competition than shutting down our block of Cambridge Street for a full-fledged Parisian-inspired street festival?
The festival will include an eclectic selection of French-inspired food vendors as well as a selection of local artists and vendors. There will be live music and a generally festive atmosphere. The bread competition will be judged right there at the festival.
The Details:
Where: Cambridge Street & 8th Street, East Cambridge
When: Sunday June 11th, 2023, 12pm-4pm. There is no rain date for this event. It will happen rain or shine!
Current food vendors include: Formaggio Kitchen, Breadboard Bakery, Wild Pops, New Deal Fish Market, Emma's Macarons, Waffle Cabin, Michette Bakery, Batifol. Also several local artists, wine by the glass and live music!
The Competition
Calling All Bakers!
Our competition is loosely based off the Parisian competition, which began in 1997. The French contest was the brainchild of then French president Jacques Chirac who wanted to combat what he saw as a degradation of French bread culture.
Every year more than 100 bakeries submit their baguettes for blind tasting and the winner becomes the official bread supplier of the French presidential residence.
We're taking things a bit lighter in our competition (but still pretty seriously!). For one thing there aren't hundreds of bakeries cranking our baguettes in the Boston area! At least not yet. A boy can dream right?
We've decided to break the competition into two categories: amateur and professional. Professionals will submit the traditional baguette, while this year’s amateur category will feature sourdough loaves.
Contestants will submit their breads on the morning of the competition and they will be judged blind by a panel of experts and local luminaries. The winners of the competition will be announced live at the festival.
Competition spots can be reserved on Eventbrite for $25 (the cost goes to cover some part of the festival and prizes). Contestants also receive swag for entering. Submission guidelines can be seen on the Eventbrite page.
In addition to bragging rights we've got some great prizes for the the amateur competition. But we're particularly excited about the prize for the professionals: the winner will become the official bread supplier of the Consulate General of France in Boston for 2023!
Are you a professional baker with a bakery who wants to enter the baguette competition? Submission guidelines can be found here!