The Best Pastry Chef does not take place in a traditional studio. Since its inception, the production has chosen heritage sites in the Île-de-France region, with a rotation of châteaux that distinguishes the French format from its British counterpart, the Great British Bake Off, which has remained faithful to its single tent for over ten years.
Technical constraints of filming in a classified château
Setting up a culinary television set in a historic monument imposes constraints that most viewers are unaware of. Decree No. 2025-347 of April 12, 2025, has relaxed the permissions for classified châteaux like that of Ormesson, but it imposes in return strict heritage preservation standards.
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The teams from BBC Studios France must ensure the total reversibility of the installations. No drilling, no permanent anchoring in the walls. The tents and external structures rest on mobile weights. The electrical supply is provided by autonomous generators to avoid overloading the network of an old building.
Thermal management poses a recurring problem. The pastry ovens emit considerable heat, and the château rooms do not have the ventilation of a professional studio. The production installs temporary air conditioning systems, calibrated to maintain a temperature compatible with chocolate and cream work, while respecting the historical materials sensitive to humidity.
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To know precisely where The Best Pastry Chef takes place according to the seasons, one must follow the announcements from M6 at each renewal, as the location changes regularly.
Château d’Ormesson: why the production returns to this estate
The château of Ormesson-sur-Marne has become the most recognized backdrop of the show. Its proximity to Paris is a major logistical advantage: quick access for the technical teams, the judges, and the contestants, without the extended accommodation costs that come with remote rural estates.
Since 2024, BBC Studios France has favored accessible Île-de-France sites to reduce the carbon footprint associated with travel. This shift towards a more sustainable production is not just a communication argument. It responds to concrete requirements from European broadcasters regarding the environmental responsibility of filming.
The estate’s park offers the wide shots that the artistic direction seeks: tree-lined paths, classical façade, lawns large enough to accommodate the main tent and technical annexes. The visual setting remains consistent from season to season, even when production adjusts the layout of the workstations.
Annual rotation of châteaux: a French specificity in Europe
The Best Pastry Chef adopts a unique rotation of châteaux among European culinary formats. The Great British Bake Off uses the same site (Welford Park, then other fixed estates) over several consecutive seasons. The French version changes or returns to a location based on availability and negotiations with the owners.
This approach has direct consequences on production:
- Each new site requires a technical scouting phase of several weeks to validate the water supply, truck access for production, and the capacity to accommodate the teams
- Installation costs are higher than for a fixed set, as nothing is left on site between two seasons
- The visual renewal justifies this investment to M6, which relies on the aesthetics of the set as a differentiating element on air
The rotation also generates a documented collateral effect: contestants from season 15 reported a significant increase in stress related to the urban proximity of the château d’Ormesson compared to the rural sites used in previous seasons. The ambient noise and human density around the estate change the working atmosphere.
Season 15 of The Best Pastry Chef: new judges and confirmed filming
M6 has officially announced the filming of season 15 with a significant change in the jury. Mercotte is leaving the show, replaced by two new figures: Roxane and Norbert Tarayre join Cyril Lignac. Olivier Minne takes over the hosting.
This renewal of the cast also changes the dynamics on set. The signature, technical, and creative challenges remain the foundation of the format, but the arrival of new judges requires a rearrangement of deliberation spaces and camera angles. The production management adapts the shooting plan to each judge’s style, particularly for outdoor tasting sequences that utilize the château’s decor.
The filming duration of an episode remains concentrated over several consecutive days, an intensive rhythm that explains why the location in Île-de-France facilitates logistics for all participants.
What the set changes for the contestants
The filming location is not just an aesthetic backdrop. The natural light under the tent varies according to the orientation of the estate, which directly affects the visual rendering of the cakes and the perception of colors by the pastry chefs during plating. A contestant working facing a low light source does not judge their finishes the same way as in zenithal light.
The acoustic constraints of an open park (wind, birds, passing planes in the Île-de-France area) require post-production to undertake a heavier sound mixing job than in a closed studio. This technical detail, invisible on screen, represents a significant budget item.
Thus, the choice of château structures the show well beyond the postcard. It conditions the comfort of the contestants, the shooting schedule, the production budget, and, season after season, the visual identity that distinguishes The Best Pastry Chef in the French television landscape.