The 41st edition of the biennial Worldchefs Congress & Expo brought the largest global event for chefs to the UK for the first time in its 98-year history, with delegates from 65 countries coming together in Newport from May 16 to 19, 2026.
Paris, France | 2 June 2026 – The 41st Worldchefs Congress & Expo, the landmark event for the international chefs community, was held in Wales from May 16 to 19. Organized by the World Association of Chefs’ Societies (Worldchefs), the largest international membership organization in the hospitality industry, the four-day biennial tradition received acclaim for its 2026 program, bringing together chefs, educators, and hospitality professionals from 65 countries.
Worldchefs Congress & Expo 2026 marked the first time the event has been brought to the UK in its 98-year history. Hosted by the Culinary Association of Wales (CAW) at International Convention Centre Wales (ICC Wales) in Newport with the support of chefs from the Home Nations, 959 industry professionals from around the globe attended throughout the four days.
Coming together under the banner ‘Pasture, Passion, Plate,’ the 2026 Congress celebrated the journey of food from its origins to the final dish and how it connects people, from farm to fork, across borders and cultures. A dynamic program explored key issues in hospitality and food systems, giving delegates the opportunity to network with international colleagues, engage with a stellar line-up of expert speakers, watch the world’s top chefs compete in the Global Chefs Challenge Finals, and experience a wide range of exhibits in the Expo.
“The experience has been tremendous,” said Culinary Association of Wales (CAW) President Arwyn Watkins, OBE. “We delivered on our promise and all the delegates have been nothing more than complimentary. To bring our colleagues from Worldchefs to Wales, many of them for the first time, I think we’ve left a lasting legacy…”
Delegates gained an introduction to Welsh culture, and to the leading community of chefs, with Worldchefs’ network representing the largest culinary body worldwide. 60% of the delegates identified as buyers and influencers within their own country. 92% of the attendees travelled to Wales for the event. Culinary professionals were joined by industry innovators and allies, including two United Nations representatives, Wales’ Secretary of State Rt Hon Jo Stevens MP, renowned chefs and industry experts, as well as event sponsors from Nestlé Professional, the State Tourism Agency of the Republic of Azerbaijan, Electrolux Food Foundation, and others.
The future-focused program showcased Worldchefs’ growing partnerships and collaborations, with featured sessions on the organization’s longstanding Feed the Planet’s sustainability initiatives with Electrolux Food Foundation, AIESEC, and Custom Culinary, a new FoodChoices4LIFE initiative co-funded with the European Union, emergency relief efforts with the World Central Kitchen, and mentorship with the World Food Forum (WFF) Young Chefs Programme.
Events like this are really important. It’s an opportunity for meeting. You never know who you’re going to bump into, you never know who you’re going to talk to. It’s an amazing meeting point for chefs all around the world and an opportunity to share stories.
Tom Phillips ✽ ✽
Executive Chef at Restaurant Story
Future-Forward Focus
A collaborative effort between Worldchefs, CAW and event partners, the program brought the theme of ‘Pasture, Passion, Plate’ to the stage through keynote speakers, panels and cooking demonstrations, including from Michelin-starred chefs Sian Wyn Owen (Executive Head Chef of One Michelin-starred The River Café), Tom Phillips (Executive Chef of Two Michelin-starred Restaurant Story), Hywel Jones (Executive Chef/Director of Food & Beverage of One Michelin-starred Hywel Jones by Lucknam Park), and Hywel Griffith (Chef Director at One Michelin-starred The Beach House Oxwich Ltd).
Dedicated forums for young chefs and culinary educators, and sponsor-supported sessions from the State Tourism Agency of the Republic of Azerbaijan, Dilmah Tea, VanDrie Group, Koppert Cress, Nielsen-Massey Vanillas, Nestlé Professional and others, explored key topics. With a focus on the future, the program offered diverse perspectives of issues that matter most to industry professionals, including sustainable menu development, industry preparedness for staff retention, young chefs development, and mental health awareness. A standout session spoke to the latter; featuring Kris Hall from The Burnt Chef Project, the discussion explored burnout and rewriting hospitality’s culture to better support chefs.
Alongside the Congress learning, networking, and global culinary exchange programming, attendees experienced a trade expo showcasing the latest trends in HoReCa innovation, as well as the Global Chefs Challenge Finals. Together, the multi-day event was designed to equip delegates with the creative, technical, and social tools needed to help drive the industry forward. “I hope everyone has found something that’s going to sit with them for a number of years, or that they can put back into their association and into the workplace,” said Worldchefs President Andy Cuthbert following the event’s success.
Connection to Action
Designed to empower chefs as changemakers at all stages of their careers, the 2026 Worldchefs Congress & Expo delivered thought-provoking talks, breakout sessions on international initiatives, and dedicated programming for young chefs and culinary educators. These sessions provided a wide range of opportunities to translate the four days of learning and experience into a lifetime of inspiration and action.
From Wales to the World
As part of Worldchefs’ efforts to mobilize its international network towards positive change in food systems, the event coupled headlining chefs sharing learnings from Wales with global knowledge exchange. Delegates were exposed to actionable ways to commit to greater engagement through Worldchefs’ expanding partnerships with UN bodies and initiatives with global impact:
- Feed the Planet: The Driving Global Impact and Hero Ingredients sessions shared the stories of culinary professionals driving sustainable change, made possible thanks to the support of the Electrolux Food Foundation and Custom Culinary. Join Worldchefs’ upcoming webinar, “Sustainability Education 2.0: The Regenerative Kitchen” to explore a new curriculum coming to Worldchefs Academy with Mark Serice, Vice President of Global Culinary at Griffith Foods, and Shonah Chalmers, Worldchefs Feed the Planet Chair.
- FoodChoices4LIFE: Introducing an opportunity to connect, act, and inspire, a panel on the new program featured Vojtech Vegh (Zero-Waste Culinary Advisor at Winnow Solutions), Shaun Leonard (Culinary Director at Swiss Culinary Academy BHMS Lucerne Switzerland), Shonah Chalmers (Chair of Worldchefs’ Feed the Planet Committee) moderated by Graceanne Lacombe (Network Manager of FoodChoices4LIFE). Learn more about the initiative here.
- World Central Kitchen: Laura Hayes from World Central Kitchen joined the stage with World Chefs Without Borders to talk about a growing collaboration to bring the Worldchefs community into their chef corps and help drive impact in more countries affected by disaster. Discover more about this partnership here.
- World Food Forum (WFF) Young Chefs Programme (YCP): UN representatives Kazuki Kitaoka and Flora Igoe participated in the Young Chefs Forum programming to build momentum for the new YCP and inspire the next cohort. Learn more about this programme here.
“Chefs so often hold a unique position in our agrifood systems, connecting producers, consumers and communities. The opportunity for young chefs to drive sustainable agrifood transformation is clear, and we look forward to strengthening our partnership with Worldchefs to further drive this,” said Head of the Youth Culture and Food Heritage Programme at the World Food Forum Flora Igoe, one of two UN representatives who participated in the Congress. “It was a pleasure to participate in this year’s Worldchefs Congress in Wales alongside Kazuki Kitaoka, Director of the FAO Office of Youth and Women, under the kind invitation of Worldchefs. Beyond our opportunity to share the work of the FAO Office of Youth and Women and the World Food Forum Young Chefs Programme across sessions, we also greatly valued the conversations with Worldchefs and their partners, including Electrolux Food Foundation (Electrolux Group) and World Central Kitchen.”
A specialized forum for culinary educators, Redesigning the Culinary Curriculum: What Must Change by 2030?, also explored the future of the industry and how Worldchefs’ extensive network of culinary training institutions can best prepare students.
The opportunity for young chefs to drive sustainable agrifood transformation is clear, and we look forward to strengthening our partnership with Worldchefs to further drive this.
Flora Igoe
Head of the Youth Culture and Food Heritage Programme at the World Food Forum
Young Chefs at the Center
Following extensive collaboration with the Worldchefs Global Development of Young Chefs Committee, Congress & Expo organizers ensured young chefs were at the center of the 2026 program. The Bill Gallagher Young Chefs Forum, powered by Nestlé Professional, provided unique opportunities tailored for the next generation. Chefs under 25 benefited from exclusive panels, networking events and excursions, including a trip to Newport Market, foraging with Colin Wheeler-James, and a brewery tour at Tiny Rebel.
Face-to-face sessions with the event’s headliners provided young chefs with remarkable access to leading voices to help shape their careers, including Michelin-starred speakers and UN leadership Kazuki Kitaoka, Director for Youth & Women at FAO.
with Tom Phillips and Hywel Griffith
Young chef delegates also met with Nestlé Professional representatives Poul Gorell, Global Executive Chef & Culinary Business Development Lead, and Martin Sachse, Global Head of Nestlé Professional Food, for a face-to-face session, underscoring this partnership’s ongoing commitment to supporting the next generation of industry innovators.
The Worldchefs Young Chefs Committee also unveiled a new Young Chefs mentorship toolkit, developed to provide structured guidance to culinary associations so that they can better resource young chefs globally, allowing Worldchefs members everywhere to apply best practices towards developing youth leaders in the industry.
Global Chefs Challenge Finals
The Global Chefs Challenge, a leading international competition, culminated in the Finals running alongside the 2026 Congress & Expo. Celebrating top global talent who gained their place through a series of regional semi-finals, national teams from across the globe demonstrated technical expertise, creativity, and precision over the course of four days of intense competition. Competing across four categories–Global Chefs, Global Pastry Chefs, Global Vegan Chefs, and Global Young Chefs–each team displayed remarkable skill and creativity, pushing culinary boundaries to achieve their best and setting a standard for excellence within the industry.
Gold, silver, and bronze were awarded in each category, as well as a series of special partner awards highlighting outstanding achievements in craftsmanship, sustainable gastronomy and innovation, including the Nestlé Professional Green Spatula Award, Best Fish Award by Sterling Halibut, Anchor Food Professionals Awards for Best Dessert and Best Cake, and Best Use of Tea Award by Dilmah Tea. Special thanks to Taaza, a leading provider of premium fruits, vegetables and value-added products, who provided winning competitors with their monetary prize.
Global Chefs Challenge Winner
Italy
Giuseppe De Vincenzo
Global Pastry Chefs Challenge Winner
Singapore
Cheng Yen Ping
Global Vegan Chefs Challenge Winner
Denmark
Bjarke Jeppesen
Global Young Chefs Challenge Winner
Norway
Trym Karlsen
Full competition scoring and results for the Global Chefs Challenge Finals can be found here.
The competition also set a standard for professional conduct and camaraderie. With some teams facing unexpected challenges with visa clearance in the lead-up to the competition, the energy and solidarity in the competition hall highlighted the best of the global culinary community. Leslie Chan, the Global Chefs Challenge finalist from Australia, competed on the 17th and the following day stepped in to help the Namibian culinary team, who were down a team member. “We come here not only to win, but to support and help each other. That’s the main thing,” said Chan.
Made possible through the support of sponsors, the Global Chefs Challenge Finals was a display of culinary competition at its best. “The Global Chefs Challenge Finals at the Worldchefs Congress in Wales was an outstanding success, showcasing exceptional culinary skill, integrity, and professionalism at every stage,” said Worldchefs Vice President Dr. Rick Stephen, AM. “This achievement was made possible through the remarkable support of our sponsors, CAW and the dedicated team at ICC Wales, whose commitment, hospitality and operational excellence ensured a world‑class experience for all competitors and delegates. These partnerships exemplify the spirit of collaboration that continues to elevate our global culinary community.”
2026 Awards, Medals & Recognitions
The 2026 awards ceremony also celebrated individuals, educators, and associations helping to plot the course for the future of food. Worldchefs President Andy Cuthbert proudly presented the Worldchefs 2026 awards and medals to members, sponsors and partners, recognizing outstanding contributions to the industry.
Celebrating exceptional chefs who have shown outstanding efforts for the global chefs community and the culinary arts and hospitality industry, the 2026 awards included:
Worldchefs Recognition of Quality Culinary Education (Recognized School / RQCE):
- Ahmad Shafiq – College of Tourism & Hotel Management (COTHM), Pakistan
- Bernadette Enright – College of Further Education & Training Hospitality Campus, Ireland
- Katty Vegas – Ceturgh, Perú
- Jake Kim – Seoul Hoseo Technical College and Korea Culinary Art Academy, Korea
- John Sloane – At-Sunrice GlobalChef Academy, Singapore
- Shaun Leonard – BHMS Business and Hotel Management School, Switzerland
- Sheraz Nair – Bangalore Culinary Academy, India
President’s Medals:
- Jeong-Hak Kim
- Rakesh Kumar
- Peter Fuchs
- Ray McCue
- Markku Ojala
Worldchefs Lifetime Honorary Judge:
- Otto Weibel
Honorary Life Members:
- Thomas J Macrina
- Vanessa Marquis
- Erich Glavica
- Arwyn Watkins
- Tony Khoo
- Perry Yuen
- Neil Abrahams
A new Continental Director for Europe North was also announced, with Thomas Riis replacing Neil Thompson following years of dedicated service.
Worldchefs Congress & Expo 2026
Special Thanks for a Warm Welsh Welcome
Event hosts CAW and ICC Wales delivered an exceptional 41st Congress & Expo to international delegates. “We really need to thank the Culinary Association of Wales, Arwyn and his team, but also the rest of the Home Nations who have really come together to put on a great show for us all,” says Worldchefs President Andy Cuthbert.
With the support of the Home Nations–England, Scotland, Northern Ireland and Ireland–Wales offered a warm welcome, from local flavor to the closing ceremony performance of ‘When you return to Wales’ from CAW ambassador Katherine Jenkins, OBE, Welsh superstar classical singer.
CAW also hosted the Home Nations Culinary Dinner on Sunday, May 17 at ICC Wales. Chefs from Culinary Association of Wales, Federation of Chefs Scotland, Panel of Chefs Ireland and British Culinary Federation prepared a four-course dining experience, raising funds for Hospitality Action and The Burnt Chef Project, with part of the proceeds donated to help support mental health and wellbeing across the hospitality sector.
Special thanks to CAW President Arwyn Watkins, OBE, the first Welsh chef to receive the Worldchefs Honorary Life Member distinction, and Peter Fuchs, Culinary Director of The Celtic Collection and ICC Wales.
Worldchefs Congress & Expo 2026: Centenary Event in Paris
With Wales passing the Congress bell ahead of Worldchefs’ 100-year anniversary in 2028, the centenary Congress in two years will be hosted in Paris, where Worldchefs was formed in 1928 by Auguste Escoffier and other European chefs.
Learn more about the biennial tradition and register your interest for Worldchefs Congress 2028 at www.worldchefscongress.org.
About Worldchefs Congress & Expo
The global leading platform that brings together chef delegates and professionals from across the five continents, Worldchefs Congress & Expo delivers a unique program to help industry players network and expand their professional bonds.
This includes presentations and workshops from leading experts in the industry, impactful educational programs including the Worldchefs Educators’ Forum, specialized events designed to uplift the next generation of chefs such as the Bill Gallagher Young Chefs Forum, an international trade exhibition, and diverse activities to enhance both personal and professional networks.
For more information on Worldchefs Congress, visit www.worldchefscongress.org.
The event is made possible through the support of valued industry partners and sponsors:
Platinum Sponsors: Nestlé Professional, Electrolux Food Foundation, and the State Tourism Agency of the Republic of Azerbaijan (Guest Country)
Premium Sponsors: Ariane Fine Porcelain, Aviko, Dilmah Tea, HUG Food Service, Kentaur, Kraft Heinz, and VanDrie Group
Global Sponsors: Alto-Shaam, AMT, Ambrose & Paubet, Anchor Food Professionals, Carpigiani, Custom Culinary, Ecolab, Koppert Cress, MEIKO, Monte Vibiano, Nielsen-Massey Vanillas, Scanbox, Schenk, Sterling Halibut, Valrhona, VITO, White Queen, and Winnow Solutions
Product Sponsors: Rational, Nella Cutlery, S&A Produce, SpeedWrap, and Taaza
Media Contacts
Olivia Ruszczyk, Worldchefs Communications Manager
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