UK Competitors 2026
Meet the Chefs Competing in the UK Heats
Welcome to the exceptional chefs who will compete in the UK Heats of the World Tapas Competition. Each chef will showcase their creativity, skill, and passion as they battle for the chance to represent the UK at the prestigious finals in Valladolid.
Andrew Scott
Head of Food
Wadworth & Co
Andrew Scott has spent his entire cooking career in Michelin Starred kitchens, training initially at Mallory Court, Lords of the Manor and L'Enclume. Moving to the Curlew restaurant in East Sussex where he achieved a Michelin star in the 2014 guide.
Progressing to Sudbury house in Oxfordshire to become Executive Head Chef and achieving 3 rosettes in the hotels fine dining eatery Restaurant 56 and 2 rosettes in the hotel’s brasserie. While in charge at Sudbury, Andrew represented the central region on BBC2's Great British Menu in 2016, since this he's moved into the world of food development and customer experience at Miele, global home appliance brand as head development chef.
Presently Andrew is Head of Food for Wadworth & Co overseeing the design and execution of the managed house food offering and training of chef teams across 19 pubs. He also consults on food and everything back of house at the 124 tenancy pubs.
Robert Hennessey
Greene King
Assistant Food Development Manager
Went to University College Birmingham for a culinary arts degree, then graduated and started working in a few gastro pubs. I started my first food development role at Greene King in 2022 and have been with the company since then working across a range of menus. I like to travel so have enjoyed a wide variety of different cuisines but really enjoy Japanese flavour profiles at the moment after a recent trip and anything that involves outdoor cooking as well.
Madelaine Parr
Chef de partie
Oeuf
My name’s Madelaine, but everyone calls me Mads unless I’m in trouble. I’m currently working at Oeuf, where I’ve continued to grow my skills and confidence in the kitchen. I first got into cooking at a small hotel near where I grew up, and from that moment I was hooked. I went on to study at culinary college from 16 to 18, but I’ve really learnt the most through hands-on experience.
My cooking style is modern British with a focus on comforting, flavour-led dishes. I especially love working with fish and butter. I’d say I’m very organised in the kitchen, and I enjoy that feeling when everything just comes together right. I entered this competition to have fun and push myself out of my comfort zone, and I’d love to eventually run a small pastry business from home.
Liam Walker
Stonegate
Assistant Food Development Manager
A little bit about me; ‘I am 37 Years old and work as an Assistant Food Development Manager for Stonegate Group. I have been in kitchens since I left school 21 years ago. My career has taken me everywhere from Stoke-On-Trent to the Middle East and back again. I am Father to a little boy called Cassius who thinks that Daddy’s job is to make dinners for all the other boys and girls. I guess it really is that simple.
My passion for food started very young and from the age of around 12 I had no intentions of being anything other than a chef. Much to the dismay of my teachers. I worked through some amazingly talented Kitchens with standouts being Restaurant Six At the Baltic, Truffle in Darlington and Café Lowrey in Darras Hall. I then joined Stonegate with the intention from day one to work my way into development. Some years later I now look after our largest format and this last week launched our new menu
Ben Richardson-Hughes
Food Development Manager,
Greene King
Ben has a passion for food which was born out of working in restaurant kitchens in his late teens, and which flourished during his time at University College Birmingham where he studied and worked in the US. Upon graduating with a Bachelor’s Degree in Culinary Arts, Ben has been working in the food development sector for over 12 years for the likes of Bakkavor, Senoble, Marston’s and Holland & Barrett, and is now Food Development Manager for Farmhouse Inns at Greene King.
Adrian Morawski
Head Chef, Giraffe, Boparan Restaurant Group
Chef with 15 years of experience working across diverse kitchens—from fast-paced restaurants to refined rosette-level dining. I’ve carved out a path that includes not only team-based kitchen environments but also the freedom and precision of private chef work. Creativity is my driving force in the kitchen; it’s what keeps every dish fresh, every challenge exciting. After all these years, I’m still completely in love with the craft of cooking