Qingdao News Network, June 7 (Reporter: Liu Wenchao) – From June 2 to 5, the highly anticipated French Bread Festival was held as a dual-city joint event in Shanghai and Qingdao. This year's festival kicked off in Shanghai on June 2 and continued its splendid run in Qingdao on June 5. Numerous renowned French enterprises and local Chinese French-style bakeries participated enthusiastically in the event.
France is celebrated as the global benchmark for the art of baking; from simple baguettes to exquisite desserts, the spirit of craftsmanship permeates every detail. Every morning, the freshly baked, golden baguettes in bakeries are crispy on the outside and soft on the inside; in the afternoon, the dessert showcases feature Napoleon cakes with paper-thin puff pastry sandwiching a rich, mellow cream. French bakers treat their dough as if it were a living being—strictly controlling the fermentation time, accurately measuring ingredient proportions, and judging the heat with an intuition cultivated over years of practice. Bakers from all corners of the world have been profoundly influenced by French baking. Whether they are attempting to replicate the signature crispy "feet" of French macarons or simulating the exact temperatures of traditional stone ovens, these baking techniques originating from France have now become a universal standard pursued by bakers worldwide.
Co-hosted by Business France and Lesaffre China, the 2026 French Bread Festival has seen a significant upgrade from its traditional competition format. Centering on the theme of health, the event introduced a creative light gourmet sandwich competition and an innovative Saint-Honoré dessert contest, actively extending the festival's scope toward the pastry arts. The competition gathered participants from bakeries and hotels across the country. Their meticulously crafted, fluffy, and flavorful breads won widespread industry recognition. During the event, various awards for the Shanghai Baking Competition were officially announced, and the Qingdao stop issued formal French Bread Festival certification to the participating brands.
The Shanghai-Qingdao dual-city synergy aims to promote in-depth exchanges of Sino-French baking culture and facilitate regional market expansion. Tailored to local market characteristics, the Qingdao stop organized visits to specialty bakeries, brand exhibitions, and business networking activities to further amplify the event's industry influence. Pascal Gondrand, Commercial Counselor at the French Embassy in China, stated that the French Bread Festival is a grand celebration. He expressed his hope to deliver French baking ingredients and techniques to the Chinese market and its consumers in a highly professional manner.
Qingdao is a highly open city possessing tremendous tourism appeal. During the peak tourist season, a large number of young people travel to Qingdao in groups for leisure and sightseeing. Mr. Gondrand believes that such population mobility is highly conducive to the promotion of Sino-French baking culture. Furthermore, five exceptionally top-tier Qingdao bakeries participated in this event, and the premium quality of their products was a wonderful surprise for Counselor Gondrand.
This French Bread Festival not only serves as a vital platform for Sino-French bakers to share experiences and explore continuous innovations but also brings an authentic French flavor experience directly to Chinese consumers. Concurrently, the event seamlessly integrated sustainability concepts into its practice. For instance, the Shanghai stop collaborated with the non-profit organization Green Oasis Food Bank to donate a portion of the baked goods to the Zhanyi Children's Special Education Service Center in Putuo District, Shanghai.
At the event, Business France's B2B commercial platform was also recommended to industry enterprises. This platform is designed to assist Chinese enterprises in efficiently connecting with French partners, while accurately locating and establishing the desired cooperative relationships. "French baking culture boasts immense potential in Qingdao and the broader Chinese market at large. This French Bread Festival also represents the harmonious integration of the culinary cultures between China and France, and I firmly believe we have a bright future ahead," noted Pascal Gondrand.
Editor: Yuan Ruichen
