Laëtitia, 35, will proudly represent Belgium in the televised “Best Pastry Chef” competition, since this year, she is the only Belgian candidate of the season.
Laëtitia, you are the only Belgian candidate this season!
It’s a great pride for me to represent Belgium, but it also brings a certain pressure. I am proud to be Belgian, but above all I participate in this program for my personal development. I would have liked to have a second Belgian candidate by my side. That said, I intend to bring a little Belgianness through my cakes. I want to overcome the stereotypes that people have about waffles and fries in Belgium.
Where does this passion for baking come from?
It comes to me from my grandmother, with whom I made it regularly. I am also a self-taught artist, I have been drawing since a young age. My biggest dream was to draw for Walt Disney Studios. I have always had big ambitions. About ten years ago, I decided to combine drawing with baking. After losing my father, who was my pillar and guided me in my studies, I found myself a little lost. It was my sister-in-law who suggested I paint on cakes and cookies. This is how I found my fulfillment!
How did you perfect your technique?
I am very active on social networks and I enjoy following English and American pastry chefs, renowned in their field. As I am self-taught, I quickly learned the different pastry techniques. I also followed some training to master certain basics, such as royal icing.
How did you end up in “The Best Pastry Chef”?
I sent my application because I wanted to stand out thanks to my artistic vision. My goal is to be able to make a living from my passions, which is not yet the case at the moment. I would like to develop my social networks further, but it is not easy to make yourself known to a large audience. “The Best Pastry Chef” could help me gain visibility.
How would you define your universe?
My world is very colorful, a tasty mix between Tim Burton and Walt Disney. I love everything fantastic and magical. In my head, I really live in a fairy tale. I am a very optimistic person, and it is this state of mind that I want to reflect through my pastries.
What were your apprehensions before the start of the competition?
Honestly, I didn’t know how I was going to react in front of the cameras. Fortunately, I very quickly got used to being filmed. I was lucky to be surrounded by a very caring production team. The pace of filming is also very intense, but that didn’t really bother me. Some days were more tiring than others, but we were all very united among the candidates. And then, I’m human. I can cry from joy or from anger. I am a very emotional person.
How did you find Laëtitia Milot, Cyril Lignac and Mercotte?
Laëtitia was very caring, almost motherly. Since we didn’t have our family to support us, she always found the right words to reassure us. We all got along very well with her. Cyril and Mercotte, for their part, literally impressed me. It was intimidating to meet them, especially after seeing them so often on television. When they approached my work surface, I was quite stressed, I especially didn’t want to disappoint them.
What do you think of the level of the other candidates?
I felt very small next to the other candidates. They all had very advanced mastery of pastry. I was amazed by José, the dean of the season, who is a real mine of knowledge. He also has very good values, and I am delighted to have met him. We have also kept in touch, a beautiful friendship was born between us. I admit I had a little difficulty finding my place within the group at the beginning. It took me some time to adjust, but we all got along really well, even though I didn’t show my crazy side as much as I do in real life.
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