The NRA Rising Stars ‘Class of 2026’ will feature 25 chefs, sommeliers and front of house personnel, who will be revealed at a special lunch event being held on 23 February at event partner Le Cordon Bleu’s Cord Restaurant in London.
As well as individual trophies presented to everyone in the Class of 2026, three special category awards will be handed out on the day - overall winner in the sommelier category, sponsored by Booker; overall winner in the chef category, sponsored by Le Cordon Bleu; and overall winner in the front of house category, sponsored by Square.
Attending the event will be AngloThai chef-patron John Chantarasak, who will discuss with Restaurant editor Stefan Chomka his journey from running pop-ups with his wife Desiree at their home and in various locations to the pair running a Michelin-starred restaurant that was named Opening of the Year at the 2025 National Restaurant Awards.
Now in their second year, the NRA Rising Stars Awards have been created to champion deserving hospitality individuals from across the UK. Restaurant owners and managers were called upon to put forward their nominations, with a shortlist of successful individuals picked to be part of the NRA Rising Stars ‘Class of 2026’.
All new Rising Stars for 2026 are invited to this year’s National Restaurant Awards, being held in London on Monday 8 June.
The NRA Rising Stars Awards are partnered by Square, Booker, and Le Cordon Bleu.