World Bread Championship 2025: The Mauritian Team Shines

The Mauritian team has successfully concluded its first participation in the 10th World Bread Championship – Taste & Nutrition, securing 9th place. Their proposal stood out for its ability to narrate the story of Mauritius through its most iconic flavors.

The 2025 edition, hosted by the SERBOTEL fair in Nantes, brought together 21 nations with a shared goal: to showcase the art of baking in terms of technical skill, creativity, and nutritional value. The adventure began on October 18th during the launch evening, which united all delegations in a spirit of camaraderie. On October 20th, Shezad Sahye and his assistant Farhaan Moosuddee entered the arena for their first 2.5-hour session dedicated to preparing their sourdough and dough.

The following day, starting at five in the morning, the team engaged in eight and a half hours of intense challenges. Under the watchful eyes of the international jury, they presented a variety of classic breads and original creations, including aromatic bread, health bread, sandwiches, and toast. Pastries marked the rest of the day, showcasing their traditional, commercial, and prestige brioche, croissants, and puff pastries in both prestige and commercial versions. Finally, an artistic piece inspired by the theme of the 20th anniversary of the Ambassadors of Bread capped off this demanding performance, the result of several months of preparation at La Fournée des Moulins, the integrated training center of LMLC.

The team reinterpreted symbols of street food and daily snacks: gato pima, dipin vinday, macatia coco, gato arwi, zanana disel pima, and salmi. These nods, incorporated into the contest recipes, allowed the jury to discover a facet of Mauritian culinary culture.

To bring this approach to life, the bakers emphasized local produce. All the ingredients used were sourced from local production. Victoria pineapples, Criollo cocoa from Chamarel, tangy roselle, Rodrigues lemons, taro, sugar and molasses, coconut, and even deer were integrated into their recipes as markers of authenticity.

Coach Sabeer Hookoomally expressed pride in the journey taken: “We chose to showcase Mauritius through our breads and pastries. This first participation is a foundational experience that allows us to gauge our international standing and learn to come back stronger.”

For Shezad Sahye, this adventure is a springboard: “Representing my country at the World Bread Championship was an immense honor. I leave this experience enriched, with even more motivation to pass on this expertise and continue inspiring young Mauritian bakers.”

On his part, Julien Audibert, General Manager of Les Moulins de la Concorde (LMLC), emphasized: “Participating in such a prestigious competition is a unique experience. Seeing, meeting, and exchanging ideas with bakers from around the world is already a way to grow, learn, and draw inspiration from peers.”