4 days ago
- Entertainment
- San Francisco Chronicle
San Francisco croissant contest crowns a surprising new champion
A surprise newcomer, Maison Benoit, claimed top honors at the 2025 Best Croissant San Francisco competition on Sunday, edging out 349 contenders and clinching the Grand Prize in a tightly judged field of buttery, flaky rivals.
The annual event, hosted at the Clift Royal Sonesta Hotel and organized by French Morning, Frenchly and French-American Hospitality & Gastronomy Association, drew hundreds of pastry lovers and a waitlist over a thousand names long.
Notably absent from the finalists this year was Arsicault, among the bakeries often credited with putting San Francisco on the national croissant map and whose croissant Chronicle critic Cesar Hernandez named No. 1 last year.
The 10 finalists considered at the event were chosen through public voting, with fans nominating their favorite bakeries in an open call leading up to the competition.
The judging panel included Jean-François Houdré of the Westin St. Francis, Philippe Gardelle of Chapeau, Shaunda O'Day of Noe Valley Bakery, Céline Plano of Aura in Napa, and Pierre Bee of FAHGA.
Benoît Vialle, who left a career at Microsoft and later the wine industry to pursue baking, opened Maison Benoit in Danville just last year.
'For me it highlights our relentless focus on producing the best possible quality authentic French products, and croissants in particular, at a price that everyone can enjoy every day at $3.75,' Vialle told the Chronicle on Tuesday.
His pastry chef Lucile Espeillac, formerly of Paris' La Tour d'Argent, was equally pleased with the outcome.
'We've worked so hard since we opened that this prize is really a great reward,' she told organizers.
Among the 10 finalists were standout bakeries from across the Bay Area, including Backhaus, Maison Nico, Le Carousel Patisserie, the Midwife and the Baker and East Bay Bakery, each showcasing inventive flavors and classic techniques in pursuit of the top prize.
The Midwife and the Baker, based in Mountain View, took home the People's Choice Award.
'I am very proud of the products that we have presented today: we utilize pre-fermentation techniques that give depth to the flavor of our croissants,' founder Mac McConnell told Frenchly.
In the 'Best Original Creation' category, the win went to Le Carousel Patisserie for a mango and rum-flambéed pineapple flower pastry.
'We wanted to offer a viennoiserie that was both classic and original,' said Jérémie Mullet, founder of the popup bakery.
Despite stiff competition and experimental entries, it was Maison Benoit's traditional craftsmanship that captured the top prize.
People's Choice Award
The Midwife and the Baker
Best Original Creation
Le Carousel
Grand Prix
1st place: Maison Benoit
2nd place: Backhaus
