Voting is now open for The Pro Chef & Hospitality Awards 2026, recognising the chefs, hospitality professionals and businesses shaping the GCC’s food and beverage industry.
The awards celebrate individuals and organisations across the sector, from rising culinary talent and hospitality leaders to established brands and industry partners. This year’s categories highlight excellence across the kitchen, front of house, beverage and supporting services, recognising those driving creativity, innovation and operational excellence.
A key highlight of the awards programme is the Pro Chef Showdown, where finalists from the chef categories will compete in live challenges from 7 to 10 September. Each chef will be judged on creativity, technical skill, presentation and flavour, with winners taking home their respective Chef of the Year titles. The highest-scoring chef across all categories will be crowned Pro Chef of the Year 2026.
Finalists in the chef categories will be contacted directly following the first voting round and invited to take part in the live showdown. Finalists in the Barista category may also compete in a live challenge in September.
Key dates for the awards are:
- 23 July to 16 August: Voting for Chef & Barista Categories
- 23 July to 6 September: Voting for Stars of Hospitality and Partners & Providers
- 7 to 10 September: Pro Chef Showdown
- 15 September to 15 October: Finalist Round
The chef categories include Americas Cuisine Chef, British Cuisine Chef, French Cuisine Chef, Fusion Cuisine Chef, Indian Cuisine Chef, Italian Cuisine Chef, Japanese Cuisine Chef, Meat Specialist, Mediterranean Cuisine Chef, Middle Eastern Cuisine Chef, Pan-Asian Cuisine Chef, Pastry Chef and Seafood Specialist.
The Stars of Hospitality categories recognise professionals across hotels, restaurants and beverage operations, including Hotel General Manager, Restaurant General Manager, Food & Beverage Manager, Beverage Director, Culinary Director, Operations Manager, Barista, Mixologist, Sommelier, Marketing Manager and Sustainability Champion.
The Partners & Providers categories recognise companies supporting the hospitality industry, including hospitality groups and digital agencies specialising in advertising, branding, PR and social media.
The Pro Chef & Hospitality Awards 2026 will bring together the region’s hospitality community to celebrate the people, teams and businesses contributing to the growth of the GCC’s food and beverage sector.
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