Buzzing Pastries and Heartfelt Sentiments: Aurélie’s Journey on Best Pastry Chef
On your marks! Ready? Bake! Yes, it’s that time of year again—when culinary dreams take flight… or perhaps take a nosedive, depending on how well you whip that cream! The thirteenth season of Best Pastry Chef kicked off on October 10, and we’re diving headfirst into the sweet chaos. Among the contestants this season is Aurélie, a woman who clearly went from chalkboards to checkered aprons. Growing up in a family of beekeepers, she decided she’d rather sweeten the world with her honey than just grade papers. But, as we know from our own kitchen adventures, even the most dedicated pastry chefs sometimes end up in the “too burnt to serve” category.
Aurélie’s Sweet Dreams and Sour Realities
So why did Aurélie decide to throw her hat, or should I say whisk, into the ring of this competitive bake-off? Well, she reveals that a decade ago, her family registered her, but she was “not accepted.” I guess they sent her a polite email saying, “Thanks, but no thanks,” which is a classic case of life giving you a “no” before it gives you a second shot. Fast forward a few years, and Aurélie found herself at a crossroads, telling herself, “It’s now or never!” Honestly, she sounds like the most inspirational school teacher ever—like the kind of person who could turn a math lesson into a pie-eating contest.
The Buzz of the Tent
Just last month, Aurélie officially swapped her teaching gig for bee-keeping full time. She lamented the challenges of managing thirty kids with fewer hands than she has honey pots! After all, can you imagine trying to teach a classroom of rascals while secretly dreaming about your honey-infused pastries? “No honey for you, Billy!” To add to the drama, she described her time in the competition tent as a dream come true—a “crazy adventure” no less! Cyril Lignac’s reaction to her honey was enough to send shivers down our spines, and not just because he’s got a way of judging that makes you want to hide behind the flour sack.
Aurélie: The Heart of Honey and Pastry
When it comes to personalities, Aurélie had nothing but compliments for Laëtitia Milot, the host, whom she called “super nice.” Let’s be honest; when you’re surrounded by sugary stress and fancy confectionery, nice is the name of the game. Laëtitia offered sage advice: “Let go Aurélie.” Ah yes, the timeless wisdom of ‘let it go’—perfect for her… and probably for everyone trying to bake without turning their kitchen into a disaster zone. Aurélie is a beautiful soul and her insights on focusing more on herself amidst the competitive chaos echoed in the kitchen like the sound of buttercream frosting being whipped to perfection!
A Journey of Sweet Connections
It comes as no surprise that Aurélie’s recent competitive escapades have tossed her back into the spotlight of her honey business, Miel et Gourmandises. With the buzz surrounding her on the show, she’s been flooded with honey orders! Not only that, but her former students are cheering her on too! Imagine going from a classroom of kids who might’ve thought of you as ‘Miss Boring’ to an entire village celebrating your bakery dreams and raising money for a good cause. That’s the kind of plot twist even a Netflix producer would envy!
Second Chances and Sweet Success
During her second chance test, which sounds—dare I say—less like a cooking competition and more like a cuddly makeover show, Aurélie revealed that the atmosphere was less trite and more intimate. She wasn’t just whipping up pastries to impress the judges anymore; it was more like baking at home for family and friends! Now, that’s the way to channel your inner bake-off diva! Her ultimate winner was none other than herself, overcoming her initial fears to beat fellow contestant Dorothée in a heart-stopping showdown. Talk about a plot twist!
So, whether you’re rooting for Aurélie’s sweetness to take the prize or hoping for a dramatic revenge in the form of éclairs, remember, life in the kitchen can be just as unpredictable as life outside it. Keep your whisk cleansed and your honey pots full—the best (or perhaps just the most fun) is yet to come!
To cheer Aurélie on and perhaps indulge in some honey delights, find out more about her adventures and shop for her delectable creations at Pink October. Don’t forget to check out some episodes where you can laugh, cry, and maybe even gain a few pounds along the way!
On your marks! Ready? Bake! This Thursday, October 10, season 13 of Best Pastry Chef began on M6 with new candidates. Among them, Aurélie, a fifty-year-old woman who made a career as a school teacher. Growing up in a family of beekeepers, she left her teaching profession to devote herself to her passion: bees. Retrained as a beekeeper, she now produces her own honey which she uses in abundance in her pastries. Unfortunately, Aurélie was eliminated at the end of the first week of competition, just like Dorothée whom she found under the second chance tent with Noëmie Honiat and Mohammed, semi-finalist of season 10 of Best Pastry Chef. For Télé-Loisirs, she confides in this experience.
Aurélie signed up for Best Pastry Chef ten years ago: “I wasn’t shortlisted”
Télé-Loisirs: Why did you decide to participate in Best Pastry Chef?
Aurélie: Almost ten years ago, my husband and my children registered me, but I was not accepted. I didn’t know if I was really ready. And there, I was at a turning point in my professional life and I said to myself ‘Go ahead, do what you’ve always wanted to do, go ahead, sign up’.
When did you stop being a school teacher?
Officially, it was in September 2023, but in my head, it was in November 2022. I left because of my hierarchy, the way of leading… For me, with thirty students per class, it’s not not possible. I can’t lead every child, I don’t have enough hands. I’m going to meet them to introduce them to the fascinating world of bees and show their importance in nature and on plates.
How did you feel in the tent?
I felt really good there. It was a crazy adventure. I was called three days before my birthday, I was baking cakes. I didn’t believe it! It was a dream come true, it was a great adventure.
You still made Cyril Lignac taste your honey!
Yes and he loved it. It’s a moment I won’t forget. I think Mercotte tasted it too.
The Best Pastry Chef: Aurélie on Laëtitia Milot: “She’s a beautiful person, she has a good heart”
What did you think of Laëtitia Milot in animation?
She’s super nice, she has great advice. She told me: ‘Let go Aurélie’. It’s as if I’m putting barriers on myself, like a little girl who wants to do well. She cried when I cried, it was crazy! She’s a beautiful person, she has a good background.
What did you learn during this experience?
Focus more on myself, stop thinking about others. I want everyone to be well, and I forget myself.
How has the competition changed your daily life?
I’m not telling you about the honey orders with my company Miel et Gourmandises. I prepare boxes, and there we go. For the holidays, it’s great! And then, I find all my former students, even those from twenty years ago. It’s crazy! One of them said – I’m going to cry –: “If Madame Gérard is as good a pastry chef as she is a mistress, well, she’s going to tear everything up.” I only get messages like that and it’s great! In my village, they organized an evening to broadcast the show, and the profits from the evening went to Pink October. It’s great.
The Best Pastry Chef: Aurélie finds Dorothée in the second chance tent: “It’s more intimate and it suited me much more”
During the second chance test, you were facing Dorothée. What state of mind were you in?
I had taken a little more perspective. I didn’t have to start again like in the tent. I am a competitor! I didn’t approach it in the same way, it’s more intimate and it suited me much more.
Is there more or less pressure under this tent?
As I had done the first show, I had taken a step back. For me, it was less stressful. I was really into it, like I was baking at home. When I bake, I do it for my family and my friends and, there, I had forgotten this intention. In the tent, I suffered for Cyril and Mercotte, there was too much at stake. The second show suits me more.
Finally, you beat Dorothy! Did you expect this?
No, because she’s a really good pastry chef. She is rigorous, efficient and meticulous. It’s nothing! It’s bad luck.
