Event
Event
COOKING CHALLENGE
WHEN GENERATIONS CHALLENGE EACH OTHER IN THE KITCHEN
The COOKING CHALLENGE has a taste for the unexpected! It will see intergenerational couples take up the challenge of pastry-making.
It will take place in two phases:
- a first phase of selection and online competition with a remote pastry competition,
- and a second phase in the form of a grand final in which two teams will compete live in front of the public and a jury who will select the winning challengers.
PHASE 1: THE REMOTE COOKING CHALLENGE, FROM 28/03 TO 24/04
Do you love baking and passing on your experience?
- Here’s your 1st challenge: form your team, which must be made up of one adult over 18 and one minor under 18. A parent, a grandparent, a godfather and his godson, a neighbour and a budding young cook… Remember that the minor must play an active part in the project!
- You’ll be making your own pastry on the theme of ‘Back to childhood’, which you’ll reinvent in your own way, and you’ll give it an original name.
- Send us photos of the work in progress and of the final result of your pastry creation.
- Keep your fingers crossed as you await the selection by a panel of professionals. And you’ll be sure to get your Facebook fan base excited, because their votes will be a big part of your success!
- Interested in taking up this intergenerational pastry challenge? Find all the details, timing and contact address in the ‘ONLINE CHALLENGE COOKING’ document.
PHASE 2: THE COOKING CHALLENGE, THE GRAND FINAL, SATURDAY 3/05 2PM TO 5PM
- The GRAND FINAL of the COOKING CHALLENGE will take place in public at Woluwe Shopping on Saturday 3 May from 2pm to 5pm.
- The 2 best teams in the ONLINE COOKING CHALLENGE will have been selected by a panel of experts.
- These 2 teams will be notified 3 days beforehand and will be given the pastry they have to make live on Saturday. They will then have 3 days to prepare and make, revisit and customise a classic French pastry using the ingredients provided. Our partner CARREFOUR MARKET will supply the ingredients on the day of the final.
On the big day, an open kitchen, set up by our partner EGGO, with utensils provided by LES SECRETS DU CHEF, will be reserved for the finalists to make their recipe in front of the public, under the supervision of the jury, which includes Ben and Adé.
Interested in taking part in this intergenerational pastry challenge? Find out all the details and timing in the ‘COOKING CHALLENGE LA GRANDE FINALE’ document below.
THE COOKING CHALLENGE IS ALSO 3 DAYS OF CULINARY ACTIVITIES,
from Wednesday 30/04 to Saturday 3/05 at Woluwe Shopping
To whet visitors’ appetites ahead of the grand final, a range of culinary workshops will be organised for children and adults over 3 days.
WEDNESDAY 30/04/2025
2pm to 3pm: Partnership with Laura Todd
- Open workshop for 15 children who will make and decorate giant cookies. Registration here
3.30pm to 5.30pm : Cupcake decorating with Ben and Adé
- This workshop will allow children to decorate their own cupcakes, in the company of Ben and Adé, the friendly finalists from the TV show Le Meilleur Pâtissier. Each child will go home with their own cupcake.
- There will be 2 sessions of 1 hour and 8 children per session. Registration here
FRIDAY 02/05/2025
10am to 3pm: Cooking classes given by Les Secrets du Chef
- 4 sessions of 45 minutes will be organised:
- Each session is open to 10 adults.
4pm to 6pm: Mocktail workshops
- 3 groups of 8 people will be invited to make a mocktail recipe. Registration here
SATURDAY 03/05/2025
10am to 12pm: Oil&Vinegar Cooking Show
- Oil&Vinegar will be demonstrating various preparations, which the public will be free to attend, ask questions and taste the recipes.
Whether you’re an experienced pastry chef, a budding chef or a gourmet, book these dates in your diary and come and enjoy our COOKING CHALLENGE!
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ADDITIONAL INFORMATION
PHASE 1: THE REMOTE COOKING CHALLENGE, from 28/03 to 24/04
HOW TO ENROL
- Put together a team of two people: one adult (aged 18 or over) and one minor (under 18) at the time of registration.
- The adult can be a parent, family member (grandparent, uncle/aunt, cousin), friend, legal guardian of the minor, etc.
- The minor must take an active part in making the pastry.
- Any false declaration will result in immediate exclusion from the competition.
- Only one entry is permitted per duo (it is forbidden for a participant to register in more than one team)
- Each duo must register via the form available here
- Participation is free of charge
- Candidates must be available to take part in the final in the gallery on Saturday 03/05/2025 from 2pm to 5pm.
HOW WILL IT WORK?
- Teams must create a pastry of their choice on the theme ‘Back to childhood’, showcasing their creativity and expertise.
- This theme invites participants to delve back into their memories and, through a pastry, capture the flavours, emotions and moments that marked their youth.
- Each creation must be accompanied by an explanation of why the dessert represents a ‘return to childhood’. It could be a vivid memory (first cake made with a relative), a family recipe handed down from generation to generation, or a modern reinterpretation of a dessert that was the stuff of childhood dreams.
SUBMISSION OF CREATIONS
- Participants must make their pastries at home and submit their entries via the form which includes:
- Participants’ first names and ages
- The name of the pastry Original invented name
- The story behind the pastry
- The stages of preparation
- Ingredients used
- Photos: several photos (you should be able to see the child at work, the progress of the pastry, the participants with the final pastry)
WHAT ARE THE SELECTION CRITERIA?
Entries will be assessed according to the following criteria:
- Originality and consistency of the name of the patisserie (1pt)
- Story told (3 pts)
- Originality and consistency of the recipe (2 pts)
- Difficulty and risk-taking in the recipe (difference between making a long preparation and ‘just’ crêpes) (3 pts)
- Aesthetic/visual quality (1 pt)
WHO SELECTS THE FINALISTS?
The finalists will be selected by a panel of experts made up of Woluwe Shopping partners and retailers, as well as Ben and Adé. The jury will award 6 of the final 10 points.
IMPORTANT: the other 4 points will be awarded by the participants’ FACEBOOK fanbase. Encourage your friends, family and acquaintances to like your entry: the more likes you get, the greater your chances of winning those 4 points!
On Friday 25/04, we’ll publish an album on FACEBOOK featuring photos of the entries. Your friends’ votes will be open from Friday 25/04 at 4pm until Monday 28/4 at 4pm.
The 2 best teams will be selected to take part in the grand final in the gallery. The finalists will be contacted by telephone on 29/04/2025 and invited to take part in the final.
On that date, they will be given the pastry they will have to make on the Saturday in the gallery. They will receive a list of the equipment and ingredients available to them that day, and will be able to practise at home. They’ll be free to add whatever they like to spice up their creation. And if they do, they must bring these extra ingredients and/or materials with them on the day of the final.
PHASE 2:THE COOKING CHALLENGE GRAND FINAL, 3/05 from 2pm to 5pm
CONCEPT OF THE FINAL
The two finalist teams will compete live to create a compulsory pastry, which Ben and Adé will choose from among the classic French pastries, in a limited time, in full view of the public and the jury.
SCHEDULE
Welcome and introduction – 2pm to 2.15pm
- Welcome of the jury members
- Welcome of the finalist teams
- Introduction of participants and reminder of the rules of the challenge
- Jury presentations
- Announcement of the pastry to the public (pre-defined)
Launch of the challenge – 2.15pm
- Each adult-child duo receives its own equipped work area
- Ingredients and basic utensils provided at each station
- Start of preparation: completion of the initial stages of the recipe
Break time (pastry in the oven) –
While the pastry is baking, Ben and Adé will entertain the audience.
Dressing and finishing
- The pastries are taken out of the oven
- Layout, decoration and presentation of the creations by the teams
- Each duo puts the finishing touches to the visual presentation
Presentation of creations to the jury
- Each team presents its pastry to the jury
- Tasting by the jury and evaluation according to :
- Adherence to the recipe
- Aesthetics and visual presentation
- Taste and technical mastery
Deliberation and announcement of results
- The jury deliberates and announces the winning team
- Presentation of the Cooking Challenge trophy and prizes
- Thanks to the participants and the public
End of the event
- Photo session with the winners, the jury and the public
