The live finals will take place at Orrery by Pierre Minotti on 28 September 2026.
The hunt is underway for the UK’s most talented chef and sommelier teams to compete in the national finals of Copa Jerez 2026, with the ultimate prize being a place representing Britain on the international stage in Spain next year.
Entries are now officially open for UK teams to craft and present an exceptional three- course menu perfectly paired with Sherry. The challenge is designed to showcase both technical skill and creative flair in pairing food with one of Spain’s most distinctive wines.
From the entries received, three teams will be selected to compete at the live national finals on Monday 28 September at Orrery by Pierre Minotti in Marylebone. Competitors will have the chance to present their menu to an esteemed panel of judges, in front of an audience of industry leaders and media professionals.
Chef Pierre Minotti who recently became Executive Chef at Orrery by Pierre Minotti having achieved 2 Michelin stars at Alex Dilling at the Hotel Café Royal, Spanish sommelier Julio Sierra, Wine Buyer & Head Sommelier at Orrery by Pierre Minotti, will join 2024 Copa Jerez UK winning sommelier Zoé Donadio on the judging panel, chaired by drinks expert and restaurant writer Douglas Blyde.
César Saldaña, president of the Consego Regulador de Jerez y Manzanilla Sanlúcar de Barrameda, says: ’We are absolutely thrilled to launch our UK competition and announce that Orrery by Pierre Minotti will be the home of the XII Copa Jerez UK Finals 2026. We would like to thank Orrery and chef Pierre Minotti for hosting this year’s competition. Their impressive wine programme and commitment to creative cuisine of the highest standard reflect the spirit of Copa Jerez perfectly.’
Looking back on the competition’s legacy, he added: “For over two decades, Copa Jerez has championed innovation and excellence, encouraging chefs and sommeliers to collaborate and explore the remarkable pairing potential of Sherry wines. The UK has consistently delivered outstanding creativity, and we look forward to seeing what this year’s teams will bring.”
The winning UK team will earn an all-expenses-paid trip to Jerez, where they will represent Britain in the International Grand Final of the XII Copa Jerez in June 2027. The event forms part of the Copa Jerez Forum & Competition, widely recognised as the world’s leading gastronomic congress dedicated to Sherry wines.
In addition, the two runner-up teams will be awarded places on the prestigious Certified Sherry Educator Course in Jerez in 2027—a three-day immersive programme culminating in the opportunity to gain the highly regarded Sherry Educator qualification.
UK chefs and sommeliers can find out more and download an entry pack by visiting www.sherry.wine/copa-jerez/copa-jerez-competition/national-final-copa-jerez. Entries can be submitted until midnight 22 July 2026.
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For more information and to request images, please contact celine@otaria.co.uk.
NOTES TO EDITORS
About Copa Jerez
Copa Jerez is a bi-annual international culinary competition. Organised by Sherry Wine, it encourages Chef and Sommelier teams to explore Sherry’s versatility and food pairing potential by creating a three-course menu perfectly matched with a range of Sherry wines.
Eight countries take part in the competition. Each run their own national finals to find the top team and best pairings. Finalists battle it out, live, on stage at the international competition finals held in Jerez.
The last, 2024, UK finals were won by Chef Will Stoyle from Silo and Sommelier Zoé Donadio from Apricity. They impressed the judges with their sustainably sourced dishes and inventive Sherry pairings. Will and Zoé went on to represent the UK at the 2025 international finals in Jerez, conceding to Denmark for the title but winning the Best Chef and Most Creative Pairing awards.
Over the past two decades, UK finalists have included teams from prestigious restaurants. The previous three editions were no exception, with Dinings Restaurant (2022), The River Café (2020), Texture (2018), representing the UK at the international finals in Jerez.
About the 2026 UK competition
Chefs and Sommeliers can view competition rules and submit an entry at www.sherry.wine/copa-jerez/copa-jerez-competition/national-final-copa-jerez. All entries – including full details of recipes and pairings – will need to be submitted by midnight on 22 July 2026. Judges will review submitted entries and select the top three teams. Finalists will be announced on 01 September 2026 and will be invited to compete at the live finals at Orrery by Pierre Minotti on 28 September 2026.
About the 2026 UK judges Douglas Blyde - Head Judge
Douglas Blyde is a drinks and travel columnist for The Standard, and restaurant writer for The Drinks Business. He also consults on gastronomy and drinks for a leading technology firm and a media owner, and co-hosts paulées for Coravin. He has been immortalised in the ‘Jekyll & Blyde’ cocktail at Fortnum & Mason, has marked the Glorious Twelfth in the field, dined within HMP Highdown, traced baijiu from grain to glass in rural China, and explored fermentation within the walled vineyard of Pompeii.
Pierre Minotti
Pierre Minotti is an accomplished Executive Chef and the culinary force behind Orrery by Pierre Minotti, the reimagined fine dining destination in Marylebone, London, which opened in March 2026 as part of The Evolv Collection. He is renowned for his exceptional work at the two-Michelin-starred Alex Dilling at Hotel Café Royal, where his culinary leadership saw the restaurant earn two Michelin stars just four months after opening in 2022, one of the most impressive achievements in recent UK culinary history.
Julio Sierra
Julio Sierra currently holds the position of Head Sommelier at Orrery by Pierre Minotti where he curated and oversees a wine list of over 800 wines. Originally from Spain, he spent time living in Rioja, where working close to the land and its vineyards gave him an early and intimate understanding of what goes into making great wine. His career has taken him through some of Europe's most acclaimed dining rooms, including the three-Michelin-starred Restaurante Akelarre in San Sebastián, and Launceston Place Restaurant in London. In 2021, he was recognised on the competitive stage as 2nd Runner-Up at Copa Jerez, a testament to both his technical expertise and his breadth of knowledge across wine styles.
Zoé Donadio
Zoé began her career behind the bar, building a strong foundation in spirits and cocktails before moving into wine at Silver Lining. She later led the wine cellar La Cave at The Hoxton and went on to run the drinks programme at Apricity, where she focused on responsible sourcing and low-intervention winemaking. Now Assistant Wine Manager at newly opened Super8 restaurant Impala, she continues to help shape thoughtful, accessible wine lists. Recently named #12 Best Sommelier in the UK by Harpers and a WSET Diploma graduate, Zoé focuses on wine’s role within a more sustainable food system, with an emphasis on accessibility and low-intervention practices.
