Casablanca – Morocco is heading to Lyon after winning the African Pastry Cup and Bocuse D’Or 2026 in Agadir, securing a place at the World Pastry Cup final in January 2027.
The Moroccan team scored 1,569 points to take the continental title, finishing just six points ahead of Mauritius, which earned 1,563 points and also secured a place in the global final. Egypt ranked third in the competition.
The victory came on September 23 at the Palais des Congrès Les Dunes d’Or in Taghazout Bay, as part of the fourth edition of TOC Africa.
The competition brought together six African teams from Morocco, Mauritius, Egypt, Algeria, Senegal, and Côte d’Ivoire.
The Moroccan team featured El Mehdi Benbiga in the chocolate category and Mourad Msour in the sugar category, under the presidency of Mohamed El Yazidi.
A close race to Lyon
Morocco entered the event as the reigning African pastry champion after taking the title in Marrakech in 2024.
This year, the team faced a particularly tight contest against Mauritius, with just six points separating the two highest-scoring teams. The Mauritian team completed the challenge without any penalties.
Over five and a half hours, the teams tackled a series of pastry challenges, including a revisited Tarte Tatin, individual plated frozen desserts, and chocolate Street Food creations. They also presented artistic pieces made from sugar and chocolate.
The win gives Morocco a ticket to the World Pastry Cup Grand Final, where the country will compete alongside teams from the other continental selections.
More than a pastry competition
The pastry event formed part of a wider culinary showcase in Agadir. TOC Africa 2026 brought together the African selections for the Bocuse d’Or, the World Pastry Cup, and La Liste Afrique under one program.
The Bocuse d’Or Africa selection followed on September 24, bringing together teams from Morocco, Egypt, Mauritius, Tunisia, Senegal, and Côte d’Ivoire. It serves as the continental route toward the Bocuse d’Or Grand Final in Lyon in 2027.
The Bocuse d’Or challenges chefs through a demanding live format focused on technique, creativity, precision, and national culinary identity.
From Agadir to Lyon
TOC Africa forms part of a wider qualification cycle that takes place across five continental regions before the global final. The African round in Agadir was the third continental selection of the 2025-2027 cycle.
For Morocco, the journey now moves from Agadir to Lyon, carrying the country’s pastry traditions onto one of the world’s biggest stages for the art of pastry.
