A Win Worth Sharing: PINCH Takes First Place at ACE Ready Steady Cook 2026

We’re incredibly proud to share some brilliant news from the PINCH kitchen.

PINCH chefs Chris Gidden and Sam Cootes have taken first place at the Association of Catering Excellence (ACE) Ready Steady Cook 2026 competition.

24 chefs. 12 companies. One fantastic result for PINCH.

Creativity under pressure

The challenge sounds simple - until you’re the one standing in the kitchen.

Chris and Sam had just 10 minutes to assess their ingredients, develop their idea and plan their dishes, followed by 60 minutes to cook and present their food.

It’s the kind of challenge that demands far more than technical ability. It takes creativity, teamwork, confidence, instinct and the ability to stay calm under pressure.

Chris and Sam delivered on all of it and came away with first place.

A huge congratulations to them both. We couldn’t be prouder.

More than a trophy

Of course, we love winning. But for us, this result represents something bigger.

PINCH was created around a belief that great workplace food starts with great people. Give talented chefs the freedom, support and confidence to be creative and you create food with personality.

That’s what Chris and Sam demonstrated at Ready Steady Cook, and it’s the same thinking we want to bring into our kitchens every day.

Exceptional food. Great chefs. Creativity. Teamwork. Genuine hospitality. And a desire to keep getting better.

These aren’t competition-day values. They’re PINCH values.

Bringing chef-led food into the workplace

Workplace catering has changed.

People expect more from the food they eat at work and rightly so. Lunch shouldn't simply be something that appears at midday. Food has the ability to bring people together, create conversation, support culture and turn an ordinary working day into something better.

That's why we put chefs and food at the heart of what we do.

Across our workplace catering and hospitality operations, we want our teams to have the confidence to cook, create, experiment and bring their own personality to the plate.

And when that approach results in two of our chefs standing on top of the podium, it's a pretty good reminder that we're heading in the right direction.

Congratulations again, Chris and Sam - a brilliant achievement and a very proud moment for everyone at PINCH.

Life’s too short for boring food.