“We’re a little stressed when we get up in the morning, obviously, but I didn’t want to change my rhythm or my recipe. I acted as if it was a normal day,” explains Mansour Elayed. And the strategy paid off for the 33-year-old baker and pastry chef: on May 23, Mansour Elayed won the prize for best traditional French baguette in the city of Saint-Etienne 2024. He also appears in 4e place of the best baguette in the Loire.
“Small artisanal houses are getting lost”
Mansour Elayed knows every nook and cranny of this profession. He learned the basics in the family bakery run by his father, in the 20th century.e district of Paris. “Bakery is the job of the whole family,” he sums up. 2 years ago, while visiting the Saint-Etienne city, he set his sights on an empty premises, 11 rue du Président Wilson. “I learned that it was a former bakery, closed for a year and a half following liquidation,” he says.
What motivated the thirty-year-old to leave the capital to join Saint-Etienne? “I saw it as a new challenge, starting from scratch and rebuilding everything. And then when I visited the city, I realized that there were few artisans and many big brands. Small artisanal houses are unfortunately being lost. It encouraged me to settle here,” recalls Mansour Elayed. Its establishment, L’Atelier de la Place, officially opened its doors in August 2022.
“This price is a guarantee of confidence for customers”
The young baker took on the challenge with flying colors. The business has been put back on its feet, is reconnecting with customers, and, according to the opinions of Internet users, the products are delicious. “I am very proud of our work, we have earned the trust of customers,” he rejoices.
For Mansour Elayed, the prize for the best Saint-Etienne baguette was therefore additional recognition of this work accomplished. “This price is not for the money, it is for the name, the reputation, a guarantee of confidence for customers, who now know that they will find quality products here. » As for the prize for best baguette in the Loire, the determined Saint-Etienne baker is not giving up, he intends to win next year.
