HRC 2026, part of Food, Drink & Hospitality Week, has announced the launch of Pastry HQ, a brand-new feature created to champion pastry talent, technical excellence and innovation across the sector. Developed in partnership with Chef Publishing, the new stage is designed specifically to meet the evolving needs of pastry chefs, chocolatiers, pâtissiers and dessert specialists visiting the show.
Pastry HQ will provide a focused platform for skill-sharing, ingredient innovation, technique-led demonstrations and high-level discussion, expanding the depth and breadth of what HRC offers to this specialist community across the three days of the show, from 30 March to 01 April.
Hosted by Sam Smallman, Chocolate Specialist Category Manager at Classic Fine Foods, the dedicated stage will bring together some of the most respected names in international pastry for live demonstrations, tastings and expert conversations including Paula Stakelum, Karim Bourgi, Nicolas Rouzard, Cherish Finden, Denis Drame, Nicolas Houchet, Circle Wong, Michael Kwan, Felix Vogel and the UK Pastry Team.
Cherish Finden leads a discussion on how contemporary pastry is evolving beyond traditional flavour profiles and embracing ingredients that tell deeper cultural stories. Among the most exciting influences are East and Southeast Asian ingredients bringing balance, elegance, natural colour, and refined sweetness into modern desserts, reshaping pastry in creative and meaningful ways that reflect flavour maturity, cultural appreciation, and creative courage.
Paula Stakelum, Executive Pastry Chef at Ashford Castle, who will present “Legend”, a refined showcase celebrating Irish terroir through the artistry of Valrhona chocolate. Her demonstration blends storytelling, provenance and technical mastery in a dessert that reflects modern luxury pastry.
Internationally acclaimed pastry chef Karim Bourgi will present “Elevating Middle Eastern Flavours with French Precision”, showcasing his Entremet Fairuz, a fusion of regional flavour profiles with classical French pâtisserie technique, highlighting the growing global cross-pollination shaping contemporary pastry.
Acclaimed chocolatier and pastry expert Nicolas Rouzard will deliver a chocolate-focused demonstration using Valrhona’s iconic Guanaja 70%, which celebrates its 40th anniversary in 2026, exploring depth, balance and the evolution of premium dark chocolate in fine pastry.
Chef Denis Drame will showcase a plated dessert entitled Hazelnut Truffle & Chocolate, combining hazelnut sablé, hazelnut sponge, hazelnut and black truffle crémeux, chocolate disc, truffle ice cream and siphon, demonstrating how savoury luxury ingredients continue to influence modern dessert menus.
A key highlight of Pastry HQ will be immersive tasting sessions led by l’École Valrhona chef Circle Wong. Her masterclass, “The Art of Tasting Chocolate by Valrhona”, invites chefs to explore the sensory language of chocolate, from flavour profiling and texture analysis to understanding origin and craftsmanship. Designed to sharpen palates and deepen product knowledge, the sessions reinforce the growing importance of ingredient literacy within professional kitchens.
Pastry HQ will also spotlight ingredient performance and technique development. Michael Kwan will explore the role of dairy cream in modern pastry applications, focusing on stability, texture and consistency using Elle & Vire Professionnel Excellence Whipping Cream 35%, demonstrating how technical precision supports creativity.
Felix Vogel will present “Layered Luxury: How Butter Shapes Success in Viennoiserie”, examining lamination, structure and flavour development using Corman Dairy Butter Sheet 82% fat, offering insight into how premium butter selection directly impacts product quality and profitability.
The programme also includes a discussion with members of the UK Pastry Team, Benoit Defait, Calvin Luk and Martin Chiffers, offering a behind-the-scenes perspective on competition preparation, teamwork and representing the UK on the global pastry stage, delivering valuable insight for chefs aspiring to elevate their craft.
Pastry HQ sits alongside the new Pastry Section at HRC, 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 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.
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