It may be a quintessential French bread, but the truth is that Paris’ best baguette is made by a Portuguese-owned bakery.
Aux Délice du Palais, a bakery owned by Portuguese immigrant António Teixeira, beat almost 150 rivals and has become the only baker yet to produce the best baguette of Paris on two separate occasions (the first was in 1998).
The award means his company will be allowed to supply the Elysée Palace and French President François Hollande with bread for the coming year. In 1998, the bakery baked its delicious baguettes for former president Jacques Chirac.
Although the prize was awarded to António Teixeira, this year’s prize-winning baguette was produced by his 24-year-old son Anthony Teixeira.
“He was the one who baked the baguette and signed up for the competition, although he used my bakery as the participating establishment,” his proud father was quoted as saying by Expresso newspaper.
The Guardian newspaper also ran the story, including a few words from the younger Teixeira.
“We have our recipe, but the real secret is love for the job,” he said.
Not even the fact that he has to start work at 3am and produce about 1,500 baguettes a day dents his enthusiasm.
“It is very hard work, and you have to be motivated, but we enjoy it and we do it for our customers. I know of bakers who make special dough just for their competition baguette, but we aim for excellence all the time. Winning this prize is great, but for us it is a confirmation of the quality we try to maintain.”
The young Teixeira also listed the qualities which, in his opinion, make the perfect baguette: it should be golden and crusty on the outside, and have a regular airiness on the inside.
His father could not hide his delight and enthusiasm for being yet again voted the best producer of baguettes in Paris – especially with his son filling his successful shoes.
“It is wonderful news for us, particularly since in 1998 the distinction really helped us develop our work,” he said.
António was only six when he left Portugal. He moved to Paris with his parents and at the age of 12 started learning how to bake.
But even after all of his conquests, the man still cherishes his roots and even considers his hometown Fafe to be the “best town in the world”.
Photo: Anthony Teixeira baked the winning baguette
Photo by: MARC VERHILLE
