Cocorico! The world champion of pâté en croûte is French. Thibault Gonzales won the supreme title on December 1st, surpassing the Japanese competitors who had ruled the competition for five years.
Born in 2009 from a challenge between friends, the pâté en croûte competition has gained recognition year after year. Long neglected by cooks and overshadowed by uninspiring industrial production, this dish has regained its former prestige. And for good reason. Once perceived by some as a hearty but inelegant starter, this dish requires delicate and perfectly mastered preparation. Today, it is back in the spotlight, between high-end caterers and renowned chefs who dare to take on this specialty that is far more complicated to make than it seems. And indeed an international competition was needed to honor the best pâté en croûte on the planet.
For 16 years now, the competition has attracted great Houses, chefs, and the most prestigious charcutiers from around the world. An exceptional jury, composed of emblematic figures of gastronomy, is assembled to evaluate them. For the 2025 edition, the competition was chaired by Franck Giovannini of the Restaurant de l’Hôtel de Ville*** in Crissier (Switzerland), and the jury included, among others, Meilleurs Ouvriers de France: Fabien Pairon (MOF Charcutier), Christophe Roure (MOF Chef), Joseph Viola (MOF Chef), Mathieu Viannay (MOF Chef), Gilles Reinhardt (MOF Chef), Michel Roth (MOF Chef), as well as gastronomic personalities: Yvonne Christenssen, owner of Géranium***, Melissa Djabourian, President of the Charcutiers of Greater Paris and working at Maison Delaye, and the journalist Vincent Ferniot.
The leading competition in the culinary world honors a French chef
Thibault Gonzales impressed the audience on December 1st, 2025 by winning the famous competition. This 42-year-old artisan butcher-charcutier becomes World Champion of pâté en croûte. The Frenchman distinguished himself with a precise, delicate creation, balanced in flavors and cooking. Entitled Pâté-Croûte façon Vannier, his creation combines Kintoa pork, free-range duck, and a stuffing made of Basque pork belly, duck breast, Landes duck foie gras, and veal sweetbreads.
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Featured photo : Jodi Hinds
