Brazilian chef Juliana Penteado has achieved prestigious recognition, being named one of the most promising pastry chefs globally in the 2026 edition of the World’s Pastry Special Awards. This honor, organized by the renowned international guide La Liste, which annually highlights the best gastronomic and hotel establishments, honors outstanding professionals in the world of confectionery and baking.
With a CV that includes experience at Grupo Fasano, in São Paulo, and currently running her own pastry shop in Lisbon, Portugal, Juliana Penteado was awarded the “Pastry Talent of the Year” trophy. She becomes the first Brazilian to be honored with this particular distinction.
Historically, La Liste had already honored four other Brazilian chefs with special categories. Among them are Fabrício Lemos and Lisiane Arouca, recognized as “New Talents of the Year” in the 2026 edition; Tássia Magalhães, who obtained the same award in 2024; and Renata Vanzetto, honored as “Young Talent” in 2020.
In her statements, pâtissière chef Juliana Penteado emphasized that “This award represents the consolidation of 15 years of work. It is a recognition that goes beyond a pastry shop. It is a concept developed over many years.”
Juliana’s professional path and innovative creations
With academic training in Nutrition and Gastronomy in Brazil, the professional also holds the Grand Diplôme from Le Cordon Bleu in London, a complete certification in cooking and pâtisserie. Her experience includes participating as a judge on MasterChef Portugal in the 2024 and 2025 editions.
Currently, she leads her own brand, notable for the use of 34 culinary essential oils, distributed according to the four seasons. His artistic works combine the mastery of French techniques with inspirations from fashion, perfumery and design, complemented by in-depth cultural research into traditional Portuguese sweets.
“Working with culinary essential oils is not something common, and seeing this approach recognized internationally means that the trajectory makes sense,” said the chef, highlighting the validation of her method.
Juliana’s establishment, the Juliana Penteado Pastry bakery, opened in 2021 and is located on Calçada da Estrela, in the Portuguese capital. The menu displayed in the window is renewed weekly, following seasonality. Among the options available, we highlight the vanilla mille-feuille, the pineapple tart with shiso and ginger, the Kalamansi and Kaffir Lime pavlova, as well as various choux pastries and artisan cookies in sealed packaging.
Other award-winning names and the relevance of the recognition
The award ceremony to Juliana takes place this Monday (15) in Paris. The chef expressed her emotion: “France has always been my technical reference. All my training is French, the school, the discipline, the precision. Receiving this recognition in Paris, at the hands of La Liste, has a deep meaning that goes far beyond the award itself.”
The 2026 edition of the World’s Pastry Special Awards covers a total of 12 categories, awarding 36 professionals from 18 nations, including Europe, Asia, North America and the Middle East. Notably, women make up almost a third of this year’s awardees, with 11 female chefs honored.
The “Pastry Talent of the Year” recognition, which Juliana received, was awarded to four more chefs globally. They are:
- Hyoju Park, from Madeleine de Proust confectionery, located in Melbourne, Australia;
- Jeffrey Tan, from JT Pâtisserie by Jeffrey Tan, in Penang, Malaysia;
- Miguel Yeste, from the Obrar Madrid establishment, in the Spanish capital Madrid;
- Marcelo Mabilia, from the Les Manufactures Alain Ducasse chain, in Paris, France.
Other important names were South Korean chef Eunyoung Yun, from Garuharu, in Seoul, South Korea, who was awarded the title of “Most Creative Pâtissier Chef in the World”. Frenchman Frédéric Bau, in turn, received the “Confectionery Impact Award”, in recognition of his career of reinvention and influence on the global pâtisserie scene.
The “World’s Best Afternoon Tea Experience” category had two winners: the Jacqueline at The Chancery Rosewood, in London, directed by Marius Dufay, and the Four Seasons Hotel George V, in Paris, curated by Michael Bartocetti.
The award for “Best Confectionery in the World” went to Pierre Hermé Paris, in Singapore. At the same time, Will Goldfarb, from the United States, who heads Room 4 Dessert, in Bali, Indonesia, was awarded the “Pastry Game Changer Award”, an award dedicated to professionals who revolutionize pastry culture through new ideas, dedication and teaching.
Furthermore, Panadería Rosetta, located in Mexico City and run by chef Elena Reygadas, was one of the winners of the “Pastry Discovery Gem Award”, a distinction that highlights establishments that are true culinary gems to be explored.
The full list of all categories and their respective winners is available for consultation on the website and official app.
Key trends shaping global contemporary confectionery
One of the crucial movements identified by the La Liste team in the confectionery segment is the emergence of a “confectionery without borders”, where innovations spread worldwide very quickly. Contradictorily, artisanal breadmaking follows a different path, prioritizing the use of grains of local origin, natural fermentation processes and the appreciation of regional culinary identities.
Another trend on the rise is the growing Asian influence on French pâtisserie. Ingredients such as matcha, yuzu, black sesame and miso, previously seen as “exotic”, are now incorporated into classic preparations, resulting in desserts with a lower sugar content and greater balance of flavors. Middle Eastern flavors are also highlighted: pistachio, orange blossom, tahini and kadaif paste have established themselves as elements of luxury, driven, in part, by the Dubai chocolate phenomenon.
Furthermore, La Liste points to a transformation in the creative approach to confectionery. Stimulated by digital platforms, the segment has focused on reinterpretations of renowned sweets, such as croissants with innovative designs, cheesecakes and large cookies.
Understand how the renowned La Liste guide works
Founded in France, the La Liste guide’s mission is to select, classify and celebrate restaurants, hotels and patisseries on a global scale. The platform provides carefully curated content and ranking lists anchored in robust data. Its methodology incorporates more than a thousand culinary sources, with restaurant and hotel rankings generated by algorithms, while special awards reflect careful editorial curation.