Coupe du Monde de la Pâtisserie – Team Sweden, which is responsible for Sweden's participation in the Coupe du Monde de la Pâtisserie, the world's most prestigious competition in pastry and desserts, is starting a partnership with The International Hotel and Restaurant School (IHR).
The aim is to give students the chance to develop their skills further, and to earn a place in Sweden's team in the Pastry World Cup. A central part of the partnership is a clear development path for students who show particular interest, commitment and talent in pastry, chocolate and confectionery.
Through teaching, mentorship and work in a professional environment, students get to show what they can do and develop toward the standards the team works to. It creates a unique link between upper secondary education, professional development and the elite level of pastry and confectionery, where a student's work and ambition can lead to a place in the Swedish team.
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The goal is for the partnership to work as a route into the team, where students are given a real opportunity to be selected over time and to continue developing alongside some of the industry's leading pastry chefs.
– We want to give the next generation of pastry chefs the chance to be inspired, to be challenged, and to see how far their own craft can take them, says Master Pastry Chef Gustaf Mabrouk, President of Coupe du Monde de la Pâtisserie – Team Sweden, adding:
– For us, it is important not just to talk about the future of the industry, but to help build it. This is our way of contributing to the development of Swedish pastry.
When students at IHR meet people who have come a long way in the industry, the profession becomes more concrete. They gain role models and start to see their own future differently, in a profession that covers everything from small local bakeries to global luxury hotels. That is the view of Felicia Lilja, who teaches baking and pastry at IHR.
– For me as a teacher, this partnership matters a great deal. When I trained to teach, one of my driving forces was to help develop the education of future pastry chefs and bakers. I want our students to leave school with a strong professional foundation, but also with curiosity, confidence and the will to keep developing.
– We already have a strong and ambitious program at IHR, and this partnership lets us build on it. We can give our students new perspectives and access to knowledge, technique and experience that are hard to recreate within the school itself. Working close to professionals at this level is a great opportunity for the students to see what is possible in their profession. And for students with a particular interest in competing who want to go further, there is a concrete route through Sweden's team in the Coupe du Monde de la Pâtisserie. It is rewarding to help create this kind of link between upper secondary education and the professional industry, Felicia Lilja concludes.
Master Pastry Chef Gustaf Mabrouk
President, Coupe du Monde de la Pâtisserie – Team Sweden
+46 73 838 31 12
gustaf@cmpsweden.se
The World Pastry Cup was founded in 1989 and is held every two years during the SIRHA food trade fair in Lyon. Each country selects its own team, which then competes in continental qualifiers to earn a spot in the world championship held every other year.
Master Pastry Chef Gustaf Mabrouk won Årets Konditor, the Swedish Pastry Chef of the Year title, in 1995 at just 19 years old. He then moved to New York to develop his craft further. In recent years he has worked in Sweden, including as a product developer at Delicato. He has competed in the World Chocolate Masters, coached the Swedish national pastry team, and was named World Pastry Chef of the Year in 2019. Today he runs the café and bakery Panem in Gamla Stan in Stockholm, and since 2025 he is also President of Coupe du Monde de la Pâtisserie Sweden AB.
Together with our partners – who contribute knowledge, equipment, resources, and time – we are building a Swedish team for the international stage.
