These bakers love a challenge. After participating in the M6 show “The best bakery in France”, the team from Fournil de la Gare, in Dinan, led by Jean-Marie Le Verger wanted to challenge themselves again. The artisan took one of the baker employees Thibault Duriez to the departmental competition for the best traditional baguette, Thursday May 30 at the CFA in Ploufragan. The latter gave himself a great performance, he won 1st prize in the competition, the boss finished 3rd.
“I believed in him”
At 21, Thibault has been an employee of the Fournil for six months and mainly deals with traditional baguettes. It’s natural that Jean-Marie enters him into the Côtes-d’Armor competition, they both participate with the support of the entire team. The chef at the Fournil de la Gare is not his first attempt. Last year, Jean-Marie Le Verger finished 4th in the departmental competition and in the Top 10 regionally. He masters the technique and advises his employee in the implementation. “We prepared together for two weeks at the bakery. I believed in him. Thibault has a good handle on his traditional chopsticks and good potential,” notes the boss who is delighted with his employee’s victory and not without pride.
In the top !
A few days after his first participation, the young baker does not realize his triumph. “In my opinion, I was closer to the flop than to the top,” admits the man who was not at all satisfied with his work. Yet his boss was convinced of his victory. “I was very surprised to hear my name during the results,” admits Thibault Duriez.
They are now heading to the regional final: it will take place in the second semester. For Jean-Marie, there is “the desire to do better” than his previous, already high results.
Like at Christmas
The challenge is significant since it involves making the best traditional baguette in Brittany with prescribed ingredients and the preparation will take place this time on site, in Quimper.
Will they bring home the cups again? In the meantime, the performances of the Dinannais, who are impatiently awaiting the rest of the competition, have an impact on their turnover. “An attendance worthy of Christmas,” admits the craftsman. The weekend of June 1 and 2, the store sold 700 traditional baguettes compared to 500 usually, and 400 during the week.
