The fight for better pizzas
The Pizza Master competition is here again!
Restaurant professionals have competed for the title of Pizza Master three times already. Now the search for the fourth Pizza Master is underway.
Pizza Master is a national competition for professional chefs and chefs. The goal of the competition is to highlight the special skills of pizza masters.
The application for the Pizza Master 2026 competition will be accepted from September 1, 2025, to January 15, 2026. The finals will take place at the Gastro 2026 event on Wednesday 11.3.2026 at Messukeskus Helsinki, Expo and Convention Centre.
The competition is promoted by Food Camp Finland and Arla Pro, as well as great partner companies. More information about the competition and judges will be available soon, you can get the latest updates on our Instagram.
The Pizza Master of 2026
Markus Rydenfelt
Entrepeneur,
Soossi cocktails & Pizza, Joensuu
Heinävaara
“It was difficult to think about pizza in a new way. The idea for the fried pizza came when I was frying a pizza base in a pan at home. I thought there might be something there that I could develop further,” Markus Rydenfelt says.
The judges especially appreciated the winner’s ingenuity and creative preparation method—the deep-fried pizza base was something completely new and surprising.
The Pizza Master 2026 winner Markus Rydenfelt, is a restaurateur from Joensuu. He owns the Soossi Cocktails & Pizza restaurant together with his three business partners. The winning pizza featured a rare delicacy: a deep-fried pizza base topped with fresh cherry tomatoes, plenty of herbs, cheese, and lemon.
Finalists 2026
Harvey Sacdalan
Line cook,
Old Captain,
Helsinki
Niklas Merkell
Entrepeneur,
Kotipizza,
Helsinki
Luca Negri
Pizza chef,
Pizzeria De Andrea, Turku
Are you a Pizza Master?
Are you a passionate pizza maker? You know the secrets of artisan pizzas, you value innovation, you enjoy your work and you create something new. Or is there someone like that in your circle?
Another inspiring and high-level competition is expected in the future. You can get the latest updates on our Instagram. You can start training right away!
