Eighteen individual bakers across 14 contestant entries from across Florida will knead, proof, and laminate their way toward bragging rights on October 25, when the fifth annual Best Baguette & Best Croissant of Florida Competition returns to Miami Beach. Six of the contestants hail from the Miami area, putting South Florida's French baking scene front and center at the National Hotel on October 25.
According to Axios, the event is hosted by the French American Association of Craft and Trades Florida in partnership with French Morning, and it pits bakers from different nationalities who all practice French baking traditions against each other in two categories: best baguette and best croissant. Each category awards first, second, and third place, with winners chosen by a jury of French master bakers and pastry chefs from both France and the United States. The competition kicks off at 7 p.m. at the National Hotel Miami Beach.
Miami's contingent includes Olivier Rizk of Ficelle Bakery, Loic Eteme of Sangula Bakery, Christophe Gros of Wild Levain Atelier, and Yusel Montelongo of Baker 305, per the same Axios report. They'll be joined by Matteo Duran representing Restaurant Zuccali in Coral Gables and the duo of Eric Buffenoir and Lucas Bistoquet from Bonjour French Bakery & Cafe in Kendall. Rounding out the broader South Florida field are Jean Marseille of Cafe Marseille in West Palm Beach, Edelfo Bravo of Hive Bakery & Cafe in West Palm Beach, Cesar Castro of Bakerylab Shop in Pembroke Pines, and Pascal and Cathy Fontana of their namesake bakery in Pompano Beach.
A Jury Seat Instead of a Title Defense
One name notably missing from this year's contestant list is Yann Couvreur, who won Best Croissant in 2025. Competition rules bar the prior year's winner from competing in the following edition, and Couvreur is instead serving as President of the Jury for the 2026 event, according to an Instagram
post detailing the contest's structure. The rule effectively forces a changing of the guard each year, pushing past champions into judging roles so that other statewide artisans get a shot at the spotlight.
History suggests the competition can crown dominant repeat performers. In October 2024, Miami-based Ficelle Bakery swept both top titles, taking home Best Baguette and Best Croissant honors, as reported by Frenchly. Ficelle's head baker, Olivier Rizk, had previously won Best Baguette in New York City in 2019 and in Florida again in 2022, and he's back in the field this year. The year before that, in November 2023, Bonjour Bakery claimed Best Baguette while Colombian-born chef Mario Ramírez of D'Liras in Wilton Manors took Best Croissant, Frenchly noted.
Public Voting Joins the Professional Jury
Beyond the official jury verdict, the October 25 event features a second layer of competition. Ticketed public attendees will sample pastries paired with charcuterie and cast votes for a People's Choice Award, running alongside the jury's Grand Prix selection, according to Secret Miami. General admission is available for the 21-and-over evening.
UNESCO added the artisanal know-how and culture of baguette bread to its Representative List of the Intangible Cultural Heritage of Humanity in November 2022, recognizing the traditional four-ingredient recipe of flour, water, salt, and leaven, according to Smithsonian Magazine.
A Local Market With Real Stakes
Contestant Jean Marseille built his customer base through the West Palm Beach GreenMarket before opening his standalone bakery, Café Marseille opened on Okeechobee Blvd this past July. The Love Loaf planned a move to 7337 Collins Avenue, with an estimated reopening in the first half of 2027.
