CHEF:IN Awards 2026: Here are the nominees

HAMBURG. Only around four per cent of the top chefs recognised in Germany are women. With the first CHEF:IN Awards, the CHEF:IN platform is taking a clear stand against this – and has announced the nominees across seven categories. After all, women in the industry lack visibility even outside the kitchen.

The awards will be presented on Monday, 14 September 2026, at Foodlab Hamburg. The winners will be honoured on the evening of the ceremony.

The nominees were selected by an independent panel of experts chaired by Anja Wasserbäch. They represent a new generation of women who are shaping top-tier German and international gastronomy – at the stove, behind the bar, in service and as entrepreneurs.

The 2026 nominees

• Chef of the Year presented by Transgourmet Cook: Alina Meissner-Bebrout · Julia A. Leitner · Nathalie Leblond · Rosina Ostler · Sarah Hallmann · Viktoria Fuchs
• Pastry Chef of the Year presented by Rosenthal: Elena Bockshecker · Emilia Montz · Emma Betti · Larissa Metz
• Hostess of the Year: Ilona Scholl · Kristiane Kegelmann · Marie-Anne Wild · Mical Rosenblat
• Sommelière of the Year presented by Zwiesel Fortessa: Bärbel Ring · Mona Schrader · Nancy Grossmann
• Barkeeper of the Year: Aurora Almenar · Maria Gorbatschova · Nathalie Tran · Susan Choi
• Entrepreneur of the Year: Jeannine Frank · Kristin Fuchs · Marie-Anne Wild · Tanja Goldstein
• International Chef of the Year: Ana Roš · Elif Oskan · Stefanie Herkner · Zineb Hattab

All nominees are listed in alphabetical order; there is no particular order or ranking. The winners will be announced exclusively on the evening of the awards ceremony.

“These women have long been at the very top – they have simply been in the spotlight far too rarely. With the CHEF:IN Awards, we are giving female excellence in haute cuisine its own platform for the first time.” – Denise Snieguolė Wachter, founder of CHEF:IN. The event kicks off at 1.30 pm with a panel discussion on “The visibility of women in haute cuisine”. This will be followed by an aperitif from 5.30 pm, and the awards show begins at 6.00 pm, hosted by Muschda Sherzada. The after-show party starts at around 9.30 pm at AIR BAR 13 in Westfield Hamburg. Around 120 women from the German and international haute cuisine scene, as well as selected members of the press, are expected to attend. The event is supported by Transgourmet Cook, Pommery Champagne, AKI Caviar, Rosenthal, Zwiesel Fortessa, HarperCollins Publishers and other strong partners who support CHEF:IN’s mission.

The 2026 expert jury: Chaired by Anja Wasserbäch, the independent expert jury comprises food journalists and industry experts: Lorraine Haist, Annette Sandner, Gabriele Heins, Maria-Silva Villbrandt, Jessica Jungbauer, Stefanie Hiekmann, Alexandra Laubrinus, Xenia Glassen, Eva-Maria Hilker, Tina Hüttl, Antonia Wien, Susanne Drexler, Chris Lippert, David Seitz, Julius Schneider, Benjamin Cordes, Marten Rolff, Christoph Fröhlich, Bruni Thiermeyer, Christin Siegmund, Aida Baghernejad and Vivi D’Angelo.