Crowning Santa Barbara’s Kings or Queens of Pastry

Perhaps you saw – and no doubt salivated over – the doc Kings of Pastry, the film that chronicles Les Meilleurs Ouvriers de France, the three-day trial the best pastry chefs in the world endure to earn the ultimate accolade in their field. Now as part of its Appeteasers Series, UCSB Arts & Lectures, along with the Indy and Whole Foods Market, is sponsoring a local version of the Kings and Queens of Pastry.

On Saturday, March 19 from 2-4 p.m. at Whole Foods (3761 State Street), both amateurs and professionals will battle for the ultimate baked good title. Even better, even if you aren’t entered, you can be part of the decision-making process, as the amateur section will partially be judged by your tastes – yep, that means you get complimentary pastry samples from contestant tables while supplies last.

Meanwhile, the pros will have at it in a sugary if perhaps far from sweet competition, judged by people from all three sponsoring organizations and emceed by yours truly. I’ll be very glad I don’t have to pick what’s best, given the level of contestants we should have…alas, press deadlines mean we can’t tell you all the pros participating, but we’ve got some great, far-from-basic bakers lined up.