An Anticipated Final, Under the Sign of "True Flavour"

Pauline Desurmont, Maxime Deymier, Charles Jonville, Nicolas Margeot-Porcheron, Jérémie Pasqualin, Maxence Piattelli, Nahui Sánchez and Emilien Way: they were 8 finalists selected over the past months by Marie Cabaret, ambassador of Mathieu Teisseire in France, eagerly awaiting this event, the national final of the first edition of the Flavour Masters!

This Monday, 7 of them* gathered at the Paris studio of the brand to determine, through 3 challenges, who would represent France at the international final next October.

3 Challenges for a Spot

To do this, they had to tackle 3 challenges, all complemented by exciting masterclasses on syrup making, the expertise of Mathieu Teisseire, and the influence of colors on taste perception, a truly fascinating topic.

Then came the time for action: the first challenge, Behind True Flavour, invited participants to recreate a cherry syrup by combining different essences, including cherry blossoms, almond, and vanilla.

After this initial awakening of their senses, the finalists had to propose a True Flavour Elevation, by imagining a cocktail that showcased their freshly created syrup, or "almost syrup" as Maxence Piattelli put it.

For instance, he chose cold brew coffee (among other ingredients) to elevate his creation, while Jérémie Pasqualin (Les Coursives, Mulhouse) expressed his passion for Mexican flavors by combining it with the smoky aromas of mezcal.

Finally, the ultimate challenge, Flavour & Emotion, led them to design and present a recipe inspired by an emotion and a color. Nicolas Margeot-Porcheron (Caribou, Marseille) translated his Optimism into a sunny proposal (honey and yuzu) accompanied by "Petit Jaune" from his region, while Maxime Deymier (El Gaudi, Grenoble) immersed us in the comfort and warmth (cinnamon) of his "Chesterfield", Charles Jonville (La Rochelle) converted us to green (especially apple), Emilien Way made us explore Strength, and Pauline Desurmont presented pink (and especially the rose) in her own way.

Maxence Piattelli, First Winner of France

At the end of this rich day and after long and meticulous deliberations, the jury composed of Marie Cabaret, Leïla Notturno (R&D expert at Mathieu Teisseire), and Mickaël Guidot (aka ForGeorges), ultimately designated Maxence Piattelli (Requin Cocktails, La Rochelle) as the grand winner of this national final!

Thanks to his creativity (for example, combining watermelon syrup with homemade fennel extract and grapefruit soda in the final challenge), his boldness, and his sense of presentation, he will have the honor of representing France (or the other way around) at the grand international final next October!

Can't wait!

* Unfortunately, Nahui Sánchez from the bar Apotek in Marseille could not attend, as his flight was canceled.