Nicely decorated, the puff pastry does not crumble when cut. This Saturday afternoon, an appointment was made at Aux Délices d’Angerville to taste the almond galette which received the first prize in 2023 in the competition organized by the Chamber of Trades and Crafts and the Federation of artisan bakers and pastry chefs. About sixty bakeries took part. Emmanuel Nunes and his son David won the first in the business manager and employee categories, a first. In the apprentice category, the winner is Kelia Mira, from the La Leuvilloise bakery in Leuville-sur-Orge.
After the competition jury, and before it goes on sale in bakeries from Tuesday, it is therefore our turn to taste this galette des rois after seven to eight minutes in the oven, thermostat 7. The taste is up to the presentation. The frangipane brings out the almond flavors, without being overly sweet or cloying. A result that required a lot of work. Already in 2020, Emmanuel Nunes was ranked 4th in this competition. “It pissed me off,” he says. I told them, next year, it’s me! »
A secret recipe
He will then multiply the tests with his customers, until he arrives at the “right” recipe. Result in 2021, he is crowned king of the cake, and this time again for the price of 2023. What about 2022? “The winner of the year cannot run again the following year, explains Emmanuel. So I was part of the 2022 jury and I will be in that of 2024. “
His secret? “You need good lamination, no chemicals, no coloring, no flavorings… just natural. The almond does not necessarily have a very pronounced taste. There are several steps to bring out the aromas. It’s a recipe we’ve been working on for a while. We will not know more about these famous “stages”. “My son and I are the only ones with the recipe,” he says. A son of whom he can be proud since the latter, for his first participation, has already won the first prize.
Because during the competition, everyone presented their cake. “For the recipe, it’s still family, concedes Emmanuel, but everyone does their thing (Editor’s note: the designs on the tops)” “I followed his example. Without him, I don’t know if I would have done all this,” smiles David, 24, who entered the business barely four years ago, and in the family bakery for just over two years.
A big impact on sales
For them, in addition to pride, these awards are not insignificant. “It’s important, thanks to that, we sell more cakes. This was already the case with fourth place. There, it’s 50 to 70% more sales. We pick up all the people from the surrounding villages. We have some from Saran, in the Loiret, to Paris. Two years ago, the head of the Drugstore on the Champs-Élysées came. There are fans! »
This year, their cake will not escape inflation. “The electricity bill has quadrupled, from 2,000 to nearly 8,000 euros. Butter has stabilized, but its cost remains very high, flour has also taken a lot, at least 40%. And nothing is negotiable. Before, we were not expensive, at 3.40 euros per share. There, it was no longer possible, regrets Emmanuel. We looked at what was being done elsewhere, between 4.50 and 5.50 euros per share. We cut the pear in half at 5 euros. With this price we have about the same margin as before. »
Despite this increase, the baker is not too afraid of losing customers. “People twitched more when we increased the baguette by ten centimes,” he remarks. This year, he prefers to retain these prizes, but also the three taste buds won in the competition of the Chamber of Commerce and Industry and the Departmental Council. The latter distinguishes the best merchants and craftsmen of the department by taking into account the reception and the service, the hygiene and the respect of the regulations, the quality of the products, and the tastings. “It was our first participation. Next year, we will have all four taste buds,” promises Emmanuel.