Another Sri Lankan wins French baguette competition

2026-02-28 - 11:28

Sithamparappillai Jegatheepan, a 43-year-old baker born in Sri Lanka, has won the “Grand Prix de la Baguette de Tradition Française de la Ville de Paris”, a baguette-making competition held recently in Paris, France. This was his first time participating in the competition, and he secured victory by surpassing 142 other contestants. His bakery, “Fournil Didot” in Paris, has been awarded a cash prize of €4,000 and a one-year contract to supply baguettes to the Élysée Palace. The competition, organised by the Paris City Council, was held under the patronage of the Deputy Mayor. Judging was based on several criteria, including the appearance, taste and baking quality of the baguettes. Notably, a jury comprising professionals, journalists and members of the public selected Jegatheepan’s baguette as the best among 143 competitors. Previously, another Sri Lankan-born baker, Tharshan Selvarajah, won the best baguette competition in Paris in 2023, becoming the first Sri Lankan to receive such an award. He was subsequently awarded a contract to supply baguettes to the French President. In addition, he was given the honour of carrying the Olympic torch during the 2024 Paris Olympic Games.