Two pastry chefs, working for Maastricht patisseries who competed in the Dutch Pastry Awards yesterday, also won prizes in the process.

Carlo Lennarts, chief pastry chef at Smullies on Frankenstraat, won third place and thus joined the Dutch Pastry Team as an aspirant member. This is the partnership of the six best pastry chefs in the Netherlands, supplemented by three aspirant members. Luuk Renckens, owner of Pralinea in Beatrixhaven, was awarded the Aanmoedigingsprijs (Encouragement Award).

A total of 8 patissiers from the Netherlands and Belgium competed for prizes during the Bakkersvak trade fair in Gorinchem (located in the west of the Netherlands). Based on the theme 'muziek', they had to present both a showpiece of chocolate and possibly confectionery, and a dessert cake. With the main prize for first, second ad third being joining the Dutch Pastry Team as an aspiring member.

Carlo Lennarts, who has competed in the Dutch Pastry Awards before but fell outside the main prizes each time, was delighted with third place: "In principle, I was even second, but because I had made a mistake in the presentation of my show piece, I was deducted points and finished third. But my goal has been achieved, I get to join the best pastry chefs in our country."

Luuk Renckens, for whom it was his first participation, is also happy with his Aanmoedingsprijs but would actually have preferred to be on the podium. "Still, I am happy that I was able to show the best pastry chefs in our country and the public what I can do in this field. Whether I am now encouraged to participate again next year, I don't know yet. I don't have much with the theme chosen for next year," Renckens said. The theme of next year's Dutch Pastry Awards is 'Celebrations'.

Luuk, who is in fact a chocolatier, had another weapon up his sleeve. He also entered the competition for the Best Bonbon in the Netherlands. Here, he was up against 19 other finalists. In the end, this resulted in a creditable second place.

Read the original article in Dutch