He too made his way from his native Switzerland to see his work rewarded. Léo Marzolo put on his baker’s apron five years ago in Gonfaron. In fact, baking is a family affair.
“My mother worked in a bakery for 10 years and my father was a pastry chef and chocolatier before having their restaurant in Switzerland. I grew up in this world.”
Bring your personal touch
But between Switzerland and Gonfaron, there is still a world that the Marzolo family discovers during the holidays. “I also worked in Saint-Raphaël, in the Cochet house. It was there that I learned the recipe for brioche des rois.”
Mastering the recipe is good but Léo quickly put his personal touch on it and entered the competition for the best brioche in the Var last year. He took third place on the podium. Not keen on competitions, but motivated to always do better, Léo is registering again this year. And this time his know-how – and perhaps his apricot topping – makes the difference among the fifteen participants.
“The jury said that I had topped the rankings with 419 points. It’s an honor for three little Swiss people. It must be said that I was in a good school”, underlines Léo, automatically including his parents in his victory.
So what allowed Leo to win the crown? His personal touch, certainly, but for Léo what matters most are good products and first and foremost candied fruits. Orange, pear, lemon, melon, there is no rule. Two requirements: quality and naturalness.
A story of taste
And you have to have that when you go before a jury, so attentive to the texture, to the cooking, to the appearance and decoration, to the shape. What to put a little pressure on? No more than that ultimately. “It’s nice to take part in competitions. It’s a change from our routine. We meet each other. It also pushes us to improve. When you love your job, that’s important.”
And then Léo knows that it’s also a matter of taste. “If I present the same brioche next year, it might not get on the podium”. But in 2026, Léo Marzolo will be on the other side of the table and he admits, he will be demanding. “It’s normal, the participants are already setting the bar very high.”
