Whisked Away to Bordeaux: Pastry Star Phoebe’s Unforgettable Journey with Andros Chef

From classroom to canelés! After being crowned The Chefs’ Forum Student Pastry Chef of the Year 2025, reigning champion Phoebe Mortimer, together with her lecturer from Cornwall College, Clyde Connellan and her mother, enjoyed an unforgettable two-day trip to France with sponsor Andros Chef. It was an experience packed with learning, inspiration, and plenty of incredible food.

Thursday
Phoebe and her guests landed in Bordeaux early in the morning, before heading into the city centre for lunch at the elegant InterContinental Grand Hotel de Bordeaux and fine pastries created by Gaëtan Fiard and his team. Afterwards, they visited Le Boudoir, where they enjoyed stunning pâtisserie and had the chance to tour the pastry kitchen and chat with the talented chefs. Of course, no trip to Bordeaux would be complete without a taste of the city’s famous canelés, before making their way to the Andros Chef R&D kitchen.

From there, they travelled to Hotel Le Beaulieu, where the day ended with a lovely meal in the hotel’s restaurant before a well-earned rest.

Friday
An early start saw the group return to the Andros Chef R&D kitchen, where they tasted a wide range of purées, compotes, and confit zests. The highlight of the day was a tour of the Andros Purée factory, followed by a visit to their experimental orchards.

Back at the R&D kitchen, Phoebe learned all about Andros Chef’s processes – from the farms they work with, to the production methods, and the chefs who use their products.

Audrey Arnoult, Marketing Manager for Andros Chef, said:

“This trip was such a wonderful experience shared with Phoebe, Clyde, and her mum. Phoebe is a truly brilliant woman – curious, engaged, and full of enthusiasm, which are key strengths in this profession.

A heartfelt thank you to Phoebe, Clyde, and Phoebe’s mum for sharing these special moments with us. We’re proud to support this inspiring competition that shines a light on young talents like Phoebe, and grateful to dedicated mentors like Clyde who invest in passing on their knowledge to the next generation.”

Reflecting on her time in Bordeaux, Phoebe said:

“This trip was incredible, I learned so much and am so thankful to The Chefs’ Forum and Andros Chef! I really loved learning about the amount of care, time and research it takes to produce purée. It seems like such a simple ingredient that every chef uses, but in reality, it is so complex!

From this experience I have definitely gained a deeper understanding about the production of purée, and this will help me in my career to make the fruit stand out, to enhance its flavour and to maximise the taste of the purée, as it’s such an important and crucial ingredient!”

Phoebe’s lecturer, Clyde Connellan, added:

“Having the opportunity to accompany Phoebe on the visit to Andros in Bordeaux was a real privilege. Winning The Chefs’ Forum Student Pastry Chef of the Year 2025 is an incredible achievement, and this trip was a fantastic reward for her hard work, creativity, and her engagement on her course at Cornwall College, Camborne.

The experience has given her the chance to learn more about the industry, explore future career opportunities, and gather knowledge that will support her professional journey. It was inspiring to see her enthusiasm and ambition grow even further through such a wonderful opportunity.”

Phoebe’s trip to France with Andros Chef was a truly unforgettable experience, giving her valuable insights and knowledge that will shape her future career. At The Chefs’ Forum, we are excited to see this talented young pastry chef’s journey unfold. Since winning the competition, she has already begun working as an apprentice alongside renowned Head Pastry Chef Darryl Collins at the luxurious Thurlestone Hotel in Devon – a remarkable next step in her blossoming career.