There were 20 contenders hoping to land the coveted prize—the best butter croissant 2026 in France! But as with any competition, the event organized by the National Confederation of French Bakery and Pastry had to make a tough call and name the overall winner.
Not to mention that the 20 contestants were all more motivated than the others. On June 2 and 3, 2026, in Saint-Benoît, near Poitiers, the competing bakers pushed themselves to the limit to elevate the iconic symbol of French viennoiserie: the butter croissant.
And the rules were strict: contestants had five hours to showcase the best of their artisanal craft. They were required to present 30 Charentes-Poitou AOP butter croissants in their traditional, authentic shape, with a post-bake weight of 60 g (tolerance 55–65 g). To decide the winner, the jury weighed each baker’s technical mastery (hygiene, adherence to the steps, lamination, glazing, consistency), as well as the croissant’s bake, its lamination, its shape, its uniformity, its taste, its crumb, and its aroma.
So, who took top honors at the 7th edition of the National Contest for the Best Butter Croissant 2026? Good news for Île-de-France, as a local candidate stepped onto the podium. Dylan Delmaire, now baking at L'Épi du Roi in Versailles in the Yvelines, finished first. Congrats to him! It’s worth noting that Dylan Delmaire previously clinched the top spot at the Île-de-France regional contest for the Best Butter Croissant, “Grande Couronne” 2026!
Congratulations to all the candidates who took part.
