The Grand Prix for the Parisian Traditional Baguette 2026 was awarded this Thursday, February 26 to Sithamparappillai Jegatheepan, a baker at Fournil Didot, located in the 14th arrondissement. This prestigious honor was given out among 143 baguettes competing, celebrating the excellence of traditional French bread.
Picture yourself strolling through the streets of Paris, clutching a warm, crusty baguette fresh from the oven… This everyday dream comes true thanks to dedicated artisans, and in 2026, Sithamparappillai Jegatheepan takes home the top prize at the Grand Prix of Traditional French Baguette, organized by the City of Paris.
This iconic competition, this year presided over by Nicolas Bonnet Oulaldj, Deputy Mayor of Paris in charge of craftsmanship, evaluated around a hundred baguettes based on strict criteria: appearance, taste, baking, crumb, alveolation, as well as size and salt content. A demanding jury made up of professionals, journalists, and randomly selected residents praised this baguette for its impeccable quality, a true reflection of exceptional craftsmanship.
But this Grand Prix isn’t just a symbolic honor: it comes with a €4,000 prize and the bakery will supply bread to the Élysée Palace for a year. And for those curious to taste the creations of top artisans, here are the other bakeries recognized this year:
A great opportunity to explore Paris and discover the capital's best baguettes, to be enjoyed solo, as a couple or with the family. And because a good gesture always goes hand in hand with a good deed, the baguettes not consumed during the competition were redistributed to the La Chorba association, a loyal partner of the event.
