Royal Academy of Culinary Arts Announces Candidates for the 2026 Master of Culinary Arts
The Royal Academy of Culinary Arts is proud to announce the candidates selected for the prestigious 2026 Master of Culinary Arts (MCA), one of the UK’s most respected and rigorous professional awards for chefs, pastry chefs, and restaurant and service management professionals. The MCA recognises and rewards exceptional talent across three disciplines - Kitchen, Pastry, and Service - challenging candidates to demonstrate the highest standards of technical skill, creativity, precision, and professionalism. Widely regarded as the pinnacle of achievement in the UK hospitality industry, the MCA, which takes place once every four years, reflects the Academy’s ongoing commitment to excellence and the development of future leaders within the sector.
The 2026 Master of Culinary Arts Candidates are as follows:
Pastry:
Michael Kwan, Executive Pastry Chef, Onsu; Bastien Carriou, Head Pastry Chef/Chocolatier, Harrods; Steve James, Lecturer, Capital City College Westminster; Ben Christopherson, Senior Lecturer, University of West London; Sajeela Siriwardena, Premier Pastry Sous Chef, London Hilton on Park Lane.
Kitchen:
Gordon Dochard, Culinary Development Partner, The Gleneagles Hotel; Harry Kirkpatrick, Head Chef, Trinity Restaurant; Russell Bateman, Executive Chef, The Taste Lab at Classic Fine Foods; Adam Smith, Executive Head Chef, Hever Castle, Tom Scade, Executive Chef, The Vineyard, Stockcross; Alessandro Molica, Chef de Partie, Hélène Darroze at The Connaught; Allister Barsby – Chef Patron, Hide and Fox, Luciano Lucioli; Executive Chef, Royal Bank of Canada (Restaurant Associates), Tom Phillips, Executive Chef, Restaurant Story; Ian Musgrave, Executive Sous Chef, The Ritz London; Mehdi Lahmadi, Premier Sous Chef, Coworth Park.
Service:
Valerio Badioli, Food & Beverage Manager, Gleneagles Townhouse; Anouar Belkhadir El Hairouri, Assistant General Restaurant Manager, Jumeirah Carlton Tower; Ashley Best, General Manager, 64 Goodge Street; Charles Carron Brown, Restaurant Manager, Aulis London; Milena De Waele, Head Sommelier, Petrus by Gordon Ramsay; Matteo Favarin, Deputy Hospitality Manager, Houston & Hawkes (Rathbones Venue); Thomas Gammella, General Manager, The Braywood (WSH Restaurants); John Hollywood, Head of Learning & Development, Iconic Hotels & Resorts; Rizwan Khan, General Manager, Junsei Marylebone; Tom Noller, Restaurant Manager, L’Enclume; Andréa Nuninger, Assistant Restaurant Manager, Àclèaf at Boringdon Hall Hotel & Spa; Anthony Obeuf, Food & Beverage Manager, The Peninsula London; David Olah, Restaurant General Manager, Jumeirah Carlton Tower; Antonio Palombo, Restaurant Manager, Dakota Hotels Manchester; Michel Paszto, Head Sommelier, The Ritz London; Marion Pepin, Restaurant Director, Alain Ducasse at The Dorchester; Peter Prusaczyk, Self-employed F&B Manager; Kevin Ricou, Head Waiter, The Ritz London; Stephanie Robertson, Head of Experience, Restaurant Associates; Connor Shields, Assistant Operations Manager, McConnell's Irish Whisky Distillery; Alexander Sumerauer, General Manager, The Grill at The Dorchester; Zoltan Wagner, Assistant General Manager, Local & Wild.
Alex Fassoli MCA, presenting a carving demo to the MCA Restaurant Management & Service candidates.
The Academy recently welcomed the successful candidates to their first official gathering at Brasserie Constance, Fulham Pier. The day brought participants together for detailed briefings, a run-through of the tasks ahead, and the opportunity to meet fellow candidates, chairs, and judges - marking the beginning of their MCA journey.
Candidates also experienced live equipment demonstrations from Headline Equipment Sponsor, Unox UK. Chairs of each discipline showcased the capabilities of the EVEREO and CHEFTOP-X™ combi ovens, highlighting how innovative equipment can support chefs, pastry chefs, and service professionals in achieving culinary excellence at the highest level.
Chair of the MCA, Idris Caldora MCA comments:
“This year’s cohort reflects the remarkable breadth of talent across kitchen, pastry, and service, bringing together individuals who are already operating at an exceptionally high level within their respective fields. The road ahead is undoubtedly challenging, designed to test not only technical precision but also creativity, consistency, and the ability to perform under pressure. However, it is this very process that makes the Master of Culinary Arts so respected. It is an opportunity for candidates to push boundaries, refine their craft, and ultimately join a distinguished group of professionals who represent the very best of our industry.”
Lisa Jenkins, CEO of The Royal Academy of Culinary Arts adds:
“The Master of Culinary Arts represents the very highest standard of excellence within our industry. Each of these candidates has already demonstrated exceptional dedication, skill, and professionalism, and we are proud to support them as they embark on this journey. The MCA is not only a test of technical ability, but of resilience, creativity, and leadership qualities that define the future of hospitality.”
The Royal Academy of Culinary Arts extends its congratulations to all selected candidates and wishes them every success as they embark on this challenging and rewarding pursuit of the Master of Culinary Arts.
Editor’s Note:
This year’s MCA is overseen by an esteemed panel of honorary judges:
· Mark Birchall, Chef Patron, Moor Hall, Honorary Judge - Kitchen
· Alain Roux, The Waterside Inn, Honorary Judge - Pastry
· Thomas Kochs, Managing Director, Claridge’s, Honorary Judge - Service
The award will be chaired across three categories by some of the most distinguished figures in the industry:
Kitchen:
Chair: Adam Smith MCA, Executive Chef, Coworth Park
Committee: Adam Bennett MCA, Chef Director, The Cross at Kenilworth; Jeff Galvin MCA, Chef Patron Galvin Restaurants; André Garrett MCA, Group Culinary Director, Claude Bosi Restaurants; Martin Green MCA, Head Chef, Whites Club; Spencer Metzger MCA, Row on 5 and John Williams MBE, Executive Chef, The Ritz London.
Pastry:
Chairs: Benoit Blin MCA, Head Pastry Chef, Belmond Le Manoir aux Quat’Saisons and Yolande Stanley MBE MCA, Consultant Pastry Chef Lecturer, The Pastry Training Company.
Committee: Alistair Birt MCA, Senior Head Chef, Harrods Kitchens; Denis Drame MCA, Executive Chef, The Taste Lab, Classic Fine Foods; Kofi Addai-Mensah MCA, Owner, Crystal Patisserie and Jamie Houghton MCA, Pastry Chef, The French Laundry.
Service:
Chairs: Silvano Giraldin, Director, Silvano Giraldin Service & Management Consultancy and Sergio Rebecchi, Director, Serenata Hospitality
Vice Chairs: John Cousins, Director, The Food and Beverage Training Company and Didier Garnier, Proprietor, Le Colombier
Committee: Mourad Ben Tekfa MCA, Restaurant Director, The Seren Collection; Thomas Borghi MCA, Director of Food & Beverage, The Cadogan; Luigi Cagnin MCA, Food and Beverage Operations Manager, The Ritz Restaurant; Sergio Cappello MCA, Food and Beverage Manager The Landing Hotel; Joël Claustre MCA, Regional Director, Bill's Restaurants; Daniel Crump MCA, Proprietor/Director, The Greyhound, Beaconsfield; Alessandro Fasoli MCA, Managing Director, WSH Restaurants Ltd; Giovanni Ferlito MCA Head of Wine and Beverage, The Ritz London; Antonino Forte MCA; Simon Girling, Director of Food & Beverage, The Ritz London; Devid Isabella MCA; Emmanuel Landré MCA Restaurant Manager Oswald’s; Rémy Lysé, Chief Operating Officer, The Arts Club; Michael Newton-Young MCA, Proprietor, Chez Moi Restaurant; Robert Rose MCA, Restaurant Director, Core by Clare Smyth; Vito Scaduto MCA, Director, La Terra; Thierry Tomasin MCA, Support Services Manager, Culinary Team The Gleneagles Hotel and Elaine Watson MCA, Food and Beverage Trainer, The Gleneagles Hotel.
The MCA remains the ultimate recognition for those who demonstrate not only world-class technical expertise, but also creativity, leadership, and a lifelong commitment to hospitality.
The Master of Culinary Arts 2026 is sponsored by:
Headline Champagne Sponsor - Champagne Bollinger, Headline Education Sponsor - The University of West London, Headline Equipment Sponsor – Unox UK. Aubrey Allen, Berkman Wine Cellars, Caffe Musetti, Ritter Courivaud, Seafood Scotland, SushiSushi, Winterhalter, Woods Food Service.
For more information on The Royal Academy of Culinary Arts, please visit www.royalacademyofculinaryarts.org.uk or call 020 86736300.
-ENDS-
Written By:
Nancy Lewendon
Account Manager
Eat PR & Marketing
nancy@eatpr.co.uk
+44 (0)1249 564001
