HRC, part of Food, Drink & Hospitality Week being held at Excel London from 30 March to 01 April 2026, has announced the launch of the Pastry Section, a new show feature created to give the UK’s pastry professionals a dedicated platform within this major hospitality event. The area will provide pastry chefs with opportunities to attend technical demonstrations, meet peers, and engage directly with suppliers offering specialist ingredients, equipment and solutions for patisserie teams.

To contribute to this new section, HRC has just appointed its first Pastry Ambassador; Mark Perkins, Executive Pastry Chef at the Rosewood London, whose extensive experience across luxury hotels and high-end patisserie brings valuable industry insight to the initiative.

Mark will guide the show team in creating a pastry section that meets the sector’s needs and champions the voices of pastry professionals.

Since joining the judging panel for International Salon Culinaire two years ago - the prestigious chef competition series within HRC - Mark’s new role provides an opportunity to deepen his dedication to developing the next generation of pastry talent:

“If we grow people with the right heart, we can train the skills - passion is what matters. Not enough young chefs are coming into pastry, so we need to shine a light on what it truly is: the first thing you taste in a meal and the last thing you remember.

“Pastry is constantly evolving, and this event is the perfect opportunity to learn from innovative chefs and showcase talent across every level. Salon Culinaire is already a major draw at HRC, especially the afternoon tea and cake competitions, and the new Pastry areas will give visitors even more reason to explore and develop their skills.

“With kitchen brigades getting smaller, there’s often less time to teach the next generation, but if they’re inspired by what they see in the Pastry Section and at Pastry HQ, there are now fantastic external courses ready to help them grow.”

Pastry HQ, delivered in partnership with Chef Publishing, will host a full schedule of live demos, technical sessions and industry discussions throughout the show. The content will highlight emerging trends in patisserie, showcase new product applications and provide practical insights for chefs working across hotels, restaurants, bakeries and contract catering.

Claire Bosi, Editor of Chef & Restaurant Magazine says: “Chef Publishing are delighted to bring Chef HQ Pastry to HRC in March 2026, bringing their number of live stages at HRC to two. The UK and Ireland is home to an incredible array of pastry chefs, chocolatiers and bakers and being able to bring some of these chefs to our demonstration stage and discussion platform to share their knowledge and expertise with visitors is set to be a truly exciting installation to the UK’s largest hospitality show”.

The Pastry Section will also sit alongside International Salon Culinaire’s established pastry competitions, including the Association of Pastry Chefs Dessert of the Year sponsored by PCD/Ponthier, Barry Callebaut and Allan Reeder; Contemporary Plated Dessert sponsored by Sosa and Adamance and the Live Sweet Tea Pastry Challenge sponsored by Valrhona. Judges for the 2026 show include Amit Arya - Executive Pastry Chef, Intercontinental at the O2; Cherish Finden - Pastry Chef and Judge, Bake Off: The Professionals; Shona Sutherland - Owner, Taysteful and Chair, Association of Pastry Chefs; Szilard Szentesi – Executive Chef, Mar Hall Golf & Spa Resort and Will Torrent - Senior Development Chef, Waitrose.

These competitions will continue to play a central role in promoting skills development and recognising talent within the sector.

For further information on the Pastry Section and all the show details please go to the HRC website www.fooddrinkandhospitalityweek.co.uk