Ross Sneddon named Pastry Chef of the Year at the 2026 Catey Awards
Rocco Forte Hotels is delighted to announce that Ross Sneddon, Executive Pastry Chef at The Balmoral, Edinburgh, and Brown’s Hotel, London, and has been named Pastry Chef of the Year at the 2026 Catey Awards, the UK’s most prestigious hospitality awards.
The award recognises excellence across the UK hospitality industry, with winners selected by a panel of more than 100 leading industry professionals. Ross receives the accolade in the inaugural year of the Pastry Chef of the Year category, recognising his outstanding contribution to the craft of pastry, innovation and mentorship across the industry. The award was presented at the Catey Awards ceremony on 7 July 2026.
As Executive Pastry Chef, Ross leads the patisserie, bakery and confectionery teams at both The Balmoral in Edinburgh, and Brown’s Hotel in London, overseeing the development of exceptional pastry programmes while continually raising standards across two flagship Rocco Forte Hotels properties.
Alongside his culinary achievements, Ross has built a reputation as an inspiring mentor, supporting the development of young pastry chefs throughout his career. Many of those he has trained have gone on to successful roles in some of the UK’s and the world’s leading hotels and restaurants, reflecting his commitment to nurturing the next generation of hospitality talent.
Commenting on Ross’s achievement, Richard Cooke, Managing Director, United Kingdom & Northern Europe, Rocco Forte Hotels, said: “Ross has been back at The Balmoral as Executive Pastry Chef since 2015, and for the past three years has been Executive Pastry Chef overseeing both The Balmoral and Brown’s in London.
The focused devotion to his craft and his knowledge is underpinned by a curiosity which takes his creativity to an exceptional level, which he keeps building upon. Ross consistently elevates the product in our properties in the UK and beyond.
