Crunchy on the outside, airy on the inside — a winning combination. Bread has always been important in France, and Paris baguettes are most definitely a part of that tradition. While the French eat a lot of bread, particularly baguettes, they used to eat a lot more.
Judging the best baguettes, photo Ville de Paris
A hundred-plus years ago the typical Parisian ate 620 grams of bread per day, nearly a pound and a half. Today, that amount is more like 150 grams, just over five ounces. Over the years, as demand declined, so did the quality of Paris baguettes. Things got worse during World War I and World War II when rationing affected bakers' ability to get supplies. Were the food-loving French going to sit back and take this? Mais, non !
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The dubious quality of some Paris baguettes led to changes in the early 1990s.Consumers and artisan boulangers banded together to try to restore the traditional quality of Paris baguettes. In 1993 a law was passed in France that regulates how a baguette de tradition must be made. Baguettes de tradition have to be made on the premises of the boulangerie, from start to finish. They can contain only four ingredients — wheat flour, yeast, salt and water. Only then can they be called tradition.
The baguette law is supported by an annual competition for the best Paris baguettes — the Grand Prix de la Baguette de Tradition Française de la Ville de Paris. To be entered in the competition a baguette must measure between 55 and 70 cm, weigh from 250 to 300 grams, and have 18 grams salt per kilogram of flour. The winner, the top baguette-maker of the year, gets the honor of supplying the French presidential residence with baguettes every morning for the entire year.
So, when buying a baguette in Paris, we recommend you always ask for a tradition and, if you get a chance, try a baguette from one of the prize-winning boulangeries. Below you'll find the lists of the ten (or more) winners for every year going back to 2010.
Paris Dinner Cruises on the Seine Dine in style as you glide past the Eiffel Tower, Notre-Dame, and the Louvre on a magical Seine River cruise. Gourmet food, champagne, and Paris lit up at night – it’s unforgettable. |
Paris Dinner Cruises on the Seine Dine in style as you glide past the Eiffel Tower, Notre-Dame, and the Louvre on a magical Seine River cruise. Gourmet food, champagne, and Paris lit up at night – it’s unforgettable. |
2024 winner Xavier Netry of Boulangerie Utopie
2023 winner Tharshan Selvarajah of Au Levain des Pyrénées
Discover the Food & Wine of the Marais |
Cheese & Wine Tasting in a Paris Cellar |
Cheese & Wine Tasting in a Paris Cellar |
2022 winner Damien Dedun of Boulangerie Frédéric Comyn
Escape to the Land of Bubbly on a small-group day tour from Paris. Taste at top Champagne houses, meet boutique producers, enjoy a leisurely lunch, and toast to a perfectly sparkling day. |
Escape to the Land of Bubbly on a small-group day tour from Paris. Taste at top Champagne houses, meet boutique producers, enjoy a leisurely lunch, and toast to a perfectly sparkling day. |
2021 winner Les Boulangers de Reuilly
Dinner & Cabaret at Paradis Latin Theater |
Chocolate & Pastry Walking Tour of Saint-Germain-des-Prés |
Dinner & Cabaret at Paradis Latin Theater |
2020 winner Maison Julien – Les Saveurs de Pierre Demours
Trade Paris bustle for royal grandeur on a guided Versailles tour. Skip the lines, wander the gardens, and peek inside Marie Antoinette’s private estate. History never looked this good. |
Trade Paris bustle for royal grandeur on a guided Versailles tour. Skip the lines, wander the gardens, and peek inside Marie Antoinette’s private estate. History never looked this good. |
2019 winner Boulangerie Leroy-Monti
Browse our hand-picked Paris hotel deals with real-time discounts of up to 20%. Stay in the Marais, Saint Germain, the Latin Quarter, the Left Bank near the Eiffel Tower… every arrondissement is on the list. |
Browse our hand-picked Paris hotel deals with real-time discounts of up to 20%. Stay in the Marais, Saint Germain, the Latin Quarter, the Left Bank near the Eiffel Tower… every arrondissement is on the list. |
Escape to the Land of Bubbly on a small-group day tour from Paris. Taste at top Champagne houses, meet boutique producers, enjoy a leisurely lunch, and toast to a perfectly sparkling day. |
Escape to the Land of Bubbly on a small-group day tour from Paris. Taste at top Champagne houses, meet boutique producers, enjoy a leisurely lunch, and toast to a perfectly sparkling day. |
The 2014 winning roster was unusual in that there were a number of ties, including one three-way tie. Thus, there were a total of fifteen boulangeries winning honors that year.
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