Gareth Baty: Who Is The MasterChef: The Professionals 2026 Winner?

After a tough culinary battle, private chef Gareth Baty was crowned the winner of MasterChef: The Professionals 2026 in last night’s final. He was up against runners-up Luke Emmess (chef at The Wykeham Arms in Winchester) and Mark O’Brien (currently based at Willy’s in Margate), but Baty’s final meal ultimately impressed the judges most – with Marcus Wareing describing it as an ‘absolute knockout three-course menu.’

Baty dedicated the menu to his family, beginning with a twist on a prawn cocktail made with a langoustine and green apple tartare inspired by his mother (a ‘delicate yet gusty dish’ according to judge Monica Galetti). Dedicated to his late father, the main dish was a chicken breast roulade wrapped in chicken and truffle mousse with king oyster mushroom, served with fries and a madeira sauce. And for dessert, Baty served a twist on the Brandy Alexander cocktail: an ode to his brother-in-law featuring layers of milk chocolate and dulce de leche cremeux, topped with a brandy snap and brandy-poached pears.

The chef was a strong contender from the start, but Galetti says he ‘got better and better’ with every challenge, adding, ‘his final three dishes showed that – they were faultless.’ 

‘I’ve taken so much more from the competition than I thought,’ says Baty. ‘It’s changed me as a person, it’s changed me as a chef. Now that I’m standing here holding this trophy it’s given me a whole new road to travel on and I’m going to go all the way down it.’

But how did he get here?

BBC/Shine TV

Who Is Gareth Baty?

Born in Carlisle, Baty is a self-taught chef who attributes much of his cooking skills to his mother Barbara. ‘Everything traces back to her kitchen,’ he said in an interview with BBC Radio Cumbria. ‘She showed me that cooking for people is one of the most generous things you can do, that you can make someone feel genuinely looked after through what you put on a plate.’

He spoke about this on MasterChef: The Professionals too, noting: ‘When all the other lads were out playing football, I was at home baking cakes with my mum.’

But it wasn’t until later in life that Baty decided to turn his passion for food into a career. Baty, now 39, started out by hosting supper clubs at his flat in east London before taking the plunge to move to New York for a stint at a soul food restaurant in Harlem. After returning to the UK he landed a gig in the kitchen at prestigious London eatery Berner’s Tavern, then spent time working on a farm in the Lake District – using the produce grown to bake bread and cook with livestock and vegetables from the land.

BBC/Shine TV

The chef then decided to take all he’d learnt and create something of his own, and so The Wandering Cumbrian was born. Through this Baty offers private chef services, pop-ups and takeovers for unique dining events, working with clients to create menus that feel personal. He uses techniques and flavour combinations that intrigue him, always building dishes in his head first, thinking in flavours and textures – a skill he refers to as his ‘mind mouth’.

Baty describes his cooking style as ‘modern British with influences from around the world,’ also saying, ‘I find the best dishes of mine are rooted in nostalgia and meaningful moments in my life.’

The MasterChef winner now lives in Whitefield, Greater Manchester, along with his wife Katherine and their two children. Alongside his cooking, he enjoys singing, blues music and fell walking. Baty also regularly shares recipes on his Instagram @the_wandering_cumbrian – including the apricot and rose wine puree he used in the lamb tagine dish dedicated to his wife; cheesy chips; wild garlic pasta pomodoro; and crispy dumpling pancakes.

The Wandering Cumbrian

Got a special event coming up and looking for a caterer? You can book The Wandering Cumbrian through thewanderingcumbrian.com