Lucas Crusellas, the shy boy from the village who conquered the world

Vic"When you see how they unload the truck, you already know who will be on the podium," says a chocolatier who has been part of the jury of the World Chocolate Masters, the competition that made us discover a name: Lluc Crusellas, the boyfriend of Santa Eulàlia de Riuprimer which in 2022 won the most precious trophy in the world of cocoa. And all this, long before anyone thought he could win – well, someone did think that, we'll get to that – was recorded by Jordi Torra. A material that has now been transformed into a documentary and that could be seen at the Atlántida in Vic.

What that member of the jury wanted to say when he referred to the trucks is that when the contestants arrive in Paris, you can see who has prepared seriously and who has done it halfway. In fact, a large and multidisciplinary team is needed to win a competition of these characteristics. You will need graphic designers, people who make 3D moulds, a nutritionist and even a psychologist. In this sense, Crusellas was very well equipped, since when all this started he had a past in competitive sport, specifically in cycling. This gave him a mental preparation that surely helped him in the competition. In fact, the first shot of the documentary, which is called Lucas. A chronicle of pastry, it's him on a bike. The feature film will be available later in cinemas, and eventually on a platform that has not yet been announced.

Before the official presentation of the documentary began, on a cold afternoon in the capital of Osona, the public hugged the pastry chef, who greeted people at the entrance. "They better send two Mossos patrols to the town because there's no one left," he joked. Another celebrated that a bar of chocolate from Crusellas' brand, Eukarya, had been left on the sofa as a courtesy. A lady wondered if he would make us melted chocolate (spoiler, there wasn't one, but there were chocolates and cava from the Domenys winery at the end of the film). Another lady answered a call from a certain Rosa María and informed her where she was. "It's from a boy, Lluc Crusellas, who won the best chocolatier in the world. In the world, eh?" she said proudly.

"I'm only afraid of myself"

There were many familiar faces. The cartoonist Pilarín Bayés, who has collaborated a lot with Crusellas, the mayor of Vic, or the deputy Anna Erra, who was the mayor at that time and who accompanied Crusellas to Paris. Or her partner, the cook of Les Cols, Martina Puigvert. Also masters of sweets such as Christian Escribà, Ramon Morató or Jordi Butrón. Both Morató and Butrón appear in the documentary, together with other personalities of the kitchen such as Jordi Roca or Albert Adrià. It is Butrón's reflection on the shy. Crusellas is undeniably shy, and Butrón says that as for the shy, either it is because "where there is no mana there is no mana" or they are extremely intelligent. This would be the case of Crusellas, of course. All the specialists highlight the difficulty of doing what he did. A French pastry chef compares the championship with the Olympic Games. Others highlight the fact that, in addition to bordering on perfection, it requires one to be a sculptor of a ridiculously fleeting work. However, it is worth remembering that the legendary chocolate elephant with which he won the competition can be seen in the Chocolate Museum in Barcelona, ​​​​so it still holds up.

In the documentary it is clear that no one wins alone and Crusellas, without intending to, gives him a memorable lesson while driving the refrigerated van to Paris. When asked about the competitors he answers: "I am only afraid of myself."

You see him suffer, laugh, cry, get angry and show off a capacity for concentration that has practically been extinguished since we first saw the screens. You follow the preparation of the competition, as well as the three days in Paris that crowned him as World Chocolate Master. And, although it is evident that it is a collective success, there is a key figure who made it possible. The man who works behind the scenes who does not appear in the documentary and to whom Crusellas dedicated everything he achieved once the viewing was over. He stressed his "unconditional support" when he was twenty years old, and that they understood each other "just by looking at each other." His name is Josep Novellas, he is the manager of PaVic, and he is the person who, before anyone else, knew how to see in Lluc Crusellas everything that would come later.