27 November 2019, Paris - Le Cordon Bleu will take part in the Europain exhibition from 11 to 14 January, at the Porte de Versailles, in Paris.
For the first time, as a partner of the exhibition, Le Cordon Bleu Paris has been chosen to create a Europain Lab with its students. This new and inspirational boulangerie concept, measuring 280 m2, was set up by Sylvie Amar & Partners, in partnership with Moulins Viron. The idea behind this pop-up boulangerie, which will be open throughout the exhibition and also offer a range of snacks, came from a team educational project, on which Le Cordon Bleu Paris institute students were given the opportunity to work.

An innovative educational project which encourages entrepreneurship

As part of an educational project, 15 Le Cordon Bleu Paris institute Boulangerie programme students worked on their vision of the boulangerie of the future during a 3 month period. They were able to work on the project with students from other training programmes at the Institute, such as those studying pastry, and students taking the Bachelor of Business in Culinary Arts. From a variety of backgrounds and of differing nationalities, they were divided into teams and worked with one of the Institute’s Chef Instructors, in a set-up similar to that of a micro-business, as they strove to find solutions to meet consumers’ expectations.

“We were keen to give our students the opportunity to experience an innovative educational method. They quickly embraced the idea and demonstrated high level professionalism during the whole process. They came up with some extremely interesting ideas, thanks to their diverse backgrounds and cultures. Some of them even showcased their entrepreneurial skills. We can’t wait to see the Europain Lab up and running, where the students’ project will come to life,” explained Boulangerie Technical Director Chef Olivier Boudot.

Each team presented their project to a jury of experts and professionals. Europain Lab is the interpretation of the “Muse” concept by Li Fen Fong, Mariana Fermin Salicetti and Nanqi Cheng, under the guidance of Boulangerie Technical Director and Chef Instructor Olivier Boudot.

The boulangerie of the future seen through the eyes of Le Cordon Bleu Paris institute students

Eating habits and consumer expectations have changed considerably in recent years, due to shifts in the way we live. Today, the focus is increasingly on environmental, health and social concerns and it is these issues that the students have sought to address.

This is not just your everyday bakery, but a warm and appealing space for all generations, combining artisanal and technological elements. Vegetation is abundant and the furniture is made from natural materials. Nothing has been left to chance, to create the feeling of entering into a cosy space, which is in harmony with nature. Keen to enhance the customer experience, students decided that payment should be carried out by credit card and also came up with a mobile phone pre-ordering system, aimed at reducing queuing time at the point of sale to a maximum.

On the production side, the students’ main focus is transparency, as a means of reassuring the consumer. The baker is no longer confined to the basement to make bread. Production is carried out under the watchful eyes of the customers. The result: an intimate space in which you truly feel at home. The bags of flour are visible, the bakery opens directly onto the point of sale and the bread is sold directly from the baking trays.

The team responsible for the products on offer also made transparency its guiding principle. Edible QR codes, “printed” directly on the bread, will feature the price, flour composition, wheat origin and varieties, and nutritional information. The aim of the menu is to be accountable: seasonal ingredients are a must and the students chose legume based flours, such as the one used for the Institute’s exclusively available Signature Bread.

The ensemble was also envisaged as an ecosystem, in which nothing gets thrown away. Everything can be transformed, giving unsold goods, or leftovers, a second life, using as little packaging as possible. Snacks will therefore be made from puff pastry dough trimmings, unsold bread, and distilled brewer’s grains. Unsold bread will also be reused to make sweet and savoury croutons.

Come and visit the Europain Lab from 11 January, a definitively modern venue which demonstrates that it is also possible to push the boundaries in this sector and evolve towards ever more eco-friendly practices.

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Practical Informations

• Europain Paris – Porte de Versailles – Paris 15th district – Hall 1
• Dates: Saturday 11 to Tuesday 14 January 2020
• Opening hours: 9 a.m. to 6 p.m.
• https://www.europain.com/en

The students and the team of Chef Instructors look forward to meeting you and helping you to discover their boulangerie of the future – Hall 1

Le Cordon Bleu institute will also have a stand featuring all of its training programmes and activities – Hall 1 – Stand N78.

See the interview of Alexandre Viron, CEO, Moulins Viron – Read More
See the interview of Sylvie Amar, Founder, Sylvie Amar & Partners – Read More