Lankan baker wins best baguette in Paris

Published

2 years ago

May 14, 2023

editor

A Paris baker of Sri Lankan origin said he “cried” when he heard he had won best baguette in the French capital this week and would be delivering the bread to the presidential palace.

“I cried because we are foreigners and we came here to learn how to make traditional French bread,” Tharshan Selvarajah told AFP on Thursday.

“I am very happy to have won the prize.”

Fifteen baguette connoisseurs on Wednesday selected Selvarajah’s version of the iconic French bread as the best among 175 anonymous contenders.

Members of the jury, including six ordinary Parisians, had to rate dozens of baguette on their taste, crust, crumb, air bubbles, and overall aspect.

“Don’t drink at the start or you won’t be able to make it to the end of the tasting,” Paris official Olivia Polski warned judges before they started.

A video she shared on Twitter shows her then ringing up the baker based in eastern Paris to tell him the good news.

“Noooo,” he can be heard saying on the other end of the line.

Selvarajah told AFP he always makes his long loaves “with love”, while “smiling, laughing and singing”, and the result is well-cooked, delicious and crusty.

He has won 4,000 euros (more than $4,300) and the opportunity to supply baguettes to the presidential palace.

“I’m so happy that the president will taste my bread. Just taking it to the palace is exciting,” he told AFP.

UN cultural body UNESCO awarded the baguette world heritage status in November last year.

Source – AFP

Customs urges to re-export substandard salt imports

Published

43 minutes ago

June 27, 2025

editor

Sri Lanka Customs has recommended the re-export of 05 containers of imported salt after they failed to meet national quality standards.

According to Customs Spokesperson Seewali Arukgoda, all salt containers brought into the country are subject to rigorous standards testing. The five containers in question were found to be non-compliant with Sri Lanka Standards Certification requirements.

According to Customs, approximately 2,000 containers of salt have been imported under the relevant import permit.

MRP on salt

Earlier, The Sri Lanka Salt Manufacturers Association has announced that salt will now be sold under newly set Maximum Retail Prices (MRP), following an agreement with the Consumer Affairs Council.

This move comes after import restrictions were relaxed, and sufficient salt stocks have arrived in the country. The MRPs are as follows :

1 kg granular salt – Rs.180
1 kg salt powder – Rs.240
400 g salt powder – Rs.120

The Association stated that while distribution has begun, it may take a few days for the packaged salt to reach outlets islandwide. Consumers can expect to purchase salt at regulated prices once full distribution is in place.

BIZ

Kunming-Colombo freight service takes off

Published

4 hours ago

June 27, 2025

editor

In a boost to bilateral trade, China’s S.F. Airlines launched its inaugural Kunming-Colombo cargo flight yesterday, marking a new chapter in Sri Lanka’s logistics connectivity with Yunnan Province.

S.F. Airlines deployed a Boeing 747-200 aircraft for the inaugural flight, which arrived at BIA from Kunming at 10:50 a.m. yesterday (26), carrying 22 metric tons of cargo.

S.F. Airlines – a major Chinese logistics carrier.

BIZ

CIB Big City fined Rs. 1 mn. for selling overpriced bottled water

Published

16 hours ago

June 26, 2025

editor

CIB Big City, a private business outlet in Maharagama, has been fined Rs. 1 million by the Gangodawila Magistrate’s Court today (June 26) for selling overpriced bottled water.

A case was filed against the business outlet following a raid carried out by the Consumer Affairs Authority (CAA) officials on May 09, 2025.

During the raid, officials had discovered that a 500 ml bottle of water has been sold at Rs. 90 despite the MRP being declared as Rs. 70 by a gazette notification published on April 01, 2025.

The store is a part of the well known fashion chain – Wijaya Group, which is chaired by Mr. K.R.G Wijesundera.

Related News :