The Ritz duo win Copa Jerez UK

By Oliver Catchpole

Published: 29 September, 2026

Sommelier Léonard Lievin and chef Aaron Blais – both from The Ritz Restaurant – have been announced as the winners of the Copa Jerez UK 2026.

In the live final, which took place at Orrery by Pierre Minotti, the pair impressed judges with their three-course menu and sherry pairings.

They will now go on to represent the UK, facing teams from seven other countries at the Grand International Final in June of next year.

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Commenting on the duo’s performance, head judge Douglas Blyde said: “The Ritz’s menu was truly inspiring. They showcased sherry as a whole and were the only ones to include a Manzanilla and a Moscatel.

“Their temperature control was impeccable and handled the Anglo-Hispanic connection through the three dishes. They genuinely brought spectacle and craft directly to the table, including, but not limited to the historic duck press. They also carried citrus and acidity through their dishes.”

Lievin and Blais’s menu included a starter of ‘Flavours of Pintxos’ – Orkney scallop with Manzanilla Gabriela from Bodegas Barrero, followed by ‘The Ritz Cádiz’ – Pigeon “À la Presse” with petit pois “A la España” paired with Oloroso Don Nuño from Lustau.

Finally, for dessert, they presented ‘Peachy Cheesecake’ – Peach, Almond Lemon Verbena Baron Bigod Cheesecake alongside Moscatel Dorado from César Florido.

Blyde added that “the most exciting aspect of the team’s partnership was the reverse engineering evident in the Peachy cheesecake where they started with the Moscatel, studied it and then created a dreamy food version of it’.

Judge and host of the competition Pierre Minotti also praised the winning pair. He said: “I was really impressed by the quality of the dishes and their execution, particularly that each dish had a story to tell and brought in the Spanish link.”

The organisers explained that competition was tough this year, with very high standards from all three teams involved.

Chef Karl O’Dell and sommelier Jiachen Lu from Cord by Le Cordon Bleu presented “a daring menu and an outstanding wine selection”, while chef Higinio Machado and sommelier Ben Cardwell from Labombe by Trivet “impressed with a three-course celebration of exquisite dishes and a stunning range of Sherries”.

The runners up will be awarded places on the Certified Sherry Educator course in Jerez in 2027, a three-day programme culminating in the awarding of the Sherry Educator qualification.

The UK winners are now through to face teams from seven other countries at the Grand International Final in Jerez in summer 2027.

They will be fully immersed in the world of sherry and gastronomy at the Copa Jerez Forum and will compete live to bring the trophy home.

Pictured, L-R: Aaron Blais, Léonard Lievin

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