Bakers rise to the challenge
Montreal father and son represent Canada at World of Bread competition in France
MONTREAL — Laurent Agliata jokes that he has flour, not blood, running through his veins.
Beginning Sunday, the baker from Montreal will get a chance to prove it as he and his 22-yearold son, Damien, represent Canada at the three-day World of Bread contest in Nantes, France.
Teams representing 18 countries will have just under nine hours to produce a variety of different products in four different categories: bread, pastry, sandwich and an “artistic piece” that represents their country’s national identity.
The fact no Canadian has ever won the contest doesn’t worry Laurent Agliata, a 48-year-old French native who has lived in Canada since 2002.
“It’s a great adventure and a nice experience for me and my son, but competing with 18 countries, the ultimate goal is to bring back a trophy for Canada,” he said on Wednesday.
The Agliatas have spent more than 400 hours preparing for the contest, in addition to their regular duties as a head baker (Laurent) and head pastry chef (Damien) at an artisanal bakery in Montreal.
Competitors will be judged on criteria including taste, nutrition, technique, hygiene and presentation.
While he can’t discuss the specifics of what they’ll be submitting, Agliata said he and Damien will be adding Quebec and Canadian touches to their entries.
“We wanted to incorporate products from all the provinces, including Quebec, where we’re using several products from the region,” he said.
As for their artistic piece, Agliata said they worked with someone in France to come up with a concept that represents the “past, present and future” of Canada.
Each team is composed of one baker over 25, one 22 or younger, and a coach.
The opportunity seemed tailormade for the father-son pair, who are third- and fourth-generation bakers.
Agliata said it would be unthinkable for him to consider any other career, and Damien appears to feel the same way.
“As we say in French, the student is surpassing the master, because he has a creativity and a range in the profession that is really impressive,” the father said with obvious pride.
For years, the two men have worked at L’Amour du Pain bakery, which has three locations in Montreal and will open a fourth this fall.
Didier Legue, the bakery’s operations and production director, said the company uses local flour and ingredients, some of which have been shipped to France for the contest.
He said the contest submissions will include Quebec blueberries, cranberries and maple syrup, as well as healthy breads made with lupine flour, white quinoa and chia seeds.
The Agliata family’s passion for their craft would give them an edge in the contest, Legue said.
“It flows in their blood from three and four generations,” he said. “They’ve been baking all their lives.
“The love of the work, the love of the dough they’re putting together will give them a good chance.”