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Copa Jerez to test UK chefs and sommeliers’ pairing prowess

19 June 2026 By Michael Huband

Entries are now open for the UK finals of Copa Jerez, the gastronomic competition that challenges chefs and sommeliers to create a perfect Sherry-inspired menu.

Food and wine pairing may be a daily conversation for chefs and sommeliers, but chances to show off those skills to a wide audience are few and far between. So anyone looking for epicurean bragging rights – not to mention a CV boost and a trophy – should get ready for Copa Jerez.

Now in its 12th edition, the international competition looks for the best team of chefs and sommeliers to create a spectacular menu inspired by Sherry. Entries have just opened for the UK finals, which will take place on 28 September 2026; teams have until midnight on 22 July to sign up.

Each team of one sommelier and one chef must design a three-course menu paired with three Sherry wines. From the written entries submitted, finalists will be selected for their technical ability and creative flair. Three teams will then be invited to the UK finals at Orrery by Pierre Minotti to realise the menu for a panel of expert judges.

The finalist teams will present to executive chef Minotti, previously of two-Michelin-starred Alex Dilling at the Hotel Café Royal and the restaurant’s wine buyer, head sommelier and resident Spaniard Julio Sierra. Douglas Blyde, reviewing for db, praised the restaurant for its ‘technical, layered’ dishes and Sierra’s ‘confident, expressive’ wine programme.

Completing the judging panel is 2024 Copa Jerez UK-winning sommelier Zoé Donadio and Blyde himself, who chairs.

“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,” says César Saldaña, president of the Consego Regulador de Jerez y Manzanilla Sanlúcar de Barrameda.

“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.”

Facing the world’s best

September’s winning team will receive an invitation to attend the International Grand Final of Copa Jerez on 7 and 8 June 2027. That all-expenses-paid trip to Jerez will see them compete against teams from seven other nations – Germany, Denmark, the US, Belgium, the Netherlands, Mexico and Spain – in the grand final.

The two runner-up teams, meanwhile, will receive an invitation to attend the Certified Sherry Educator programme in Jerez, including a travel bursary.

Last year, Denmark secured the overall prize. Chef Emil Rask Bahr and sommelier Andreas Kobs Laursen of Sdr. Bjert Kro paired fried mackerel with Palo Cortado, pork belly in sweet and sour barbecue with VORS Oloroso and arme riddere (Norwegian cinnamon toast) with VOS Cream Sherry.

The UK team will hope to return the trophy to Britain, which won the Copa Jerez in its inaugural edition in 2005.

Alongside the competition’s grand final, next June will see the Copa Jerez Forum return to the city of Jerez. The programme of presentations, live tastings and masterclasses celebrates the enduring links between Sherry and gastronomy.

“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,” reflects Saldaña. “The UK has consistently delivered outstanding creativity, and we look forward to seeing what this year’s teams will bring.”

Teams can find out more information and download entry forms on the Copa Jerez website.