Alderney-based chef Stefan Wesley has reached the final of Kraft Heinz’s national culinary competition, Masters of the Menu 2026.
Stefan, Chef de Partie at The Moorings, is one of five finalists through to the final stages of the competition, created to champion culinary talent working within independent foodservice.
Run in partnership with Great British Menu winner James Cochran and the Craft Guild of Chefs, the finalists will take part in a live two-round cook-off at CORD by Le Cordon Bleu in London on 13 October.
The overall winner will receive £5,000 in cash, PR support and the opportunity to co-host an exclusive supper club with James Cochran at Mission Kitchen on 19 November. The increased prize and partnership with CORD by Le Cordon Bleu are among the additions introduced for the competition’s second year.
A former British Army serviceman, Stefan has experience across restaurants, private dining and events in the UK and internationally. He is also an Ambassador for The Burnt Chef Project and is passionate about supporting better mental health and wellbeing within hospitality.
His cooking is influenced by British and Mediterranean flavours, with a particular passion for seafood, seasonality and reducing food waste.
Stefan’s competition dish, Changing Tides, takes its inspiration directly from the sea around Alderney and conversations with local fishermen about how conditions have changed this year.
A significant influx of octopus has had an impact on lobster and crab fishing around the islands, changing what fishermen are finding in their pots. Stefan has used that story as the basis for a dish bringing together lobster and octopus, with the octopus representing the changing waters and lobster the more traditional catch.
Reducing waste is also central to the dish. Stefan uses every part of the lobster, with the butter-poached tail forming the centrepiece, the claws used in a croquette and the shell roasted to create a lobster consommé.
Heinz Firecracker Sauce is used to marinate the octopus before it is grilled, bringing heat, sweetness and caramelisation. Stefan also combines the sauce with Heinz Seriously Good Mayonnaise to create a spicy Mary Rose for the lobster croquette.
Stefan said: “Living and working on Alderney, you’re surrounded by the sea, and you quickly realise it dictates the rhythm of island life and just how dependent the island is on it, so I wanted my dish to tell a bit of that story. Speaking to local fishermen about the changes they’ve seen this year really stuck with me and became the starting point for Changing Tides.
“I’m incredibly proud to have made the final and to be representing Alderney. It’s a chance to showcase my cooking on a national stage, learn from some brilliant people in the industry and hopefully shine a light on the island and the food we have here. I can’t wait to see how far I can push the dish before the cook-off.”
