Meet Stephen Raymundo, the Filipino Chef Who Won Young Chef England 2026

Learning everything from scratch, England-based Filipino chef Stephen Raymundo shares how his love for cooking began and led him to become Young Chef England 2026.

It was the taste buds first, then curiosity followed. Stephen Raymundo‘s love for his mother’s adobo inspired him to learn how to cook at the age of 13. Years later, the once-curious teenager would be crowned Young Chef England 2026.

Raymundo is a London-based Filipino chef who won the Young Chef England title, a category under the World Young Chef, Young Waiter, and Young Mixologist competition (or WorldYYY for short). Considered one of the world’s most prestigious hospitality competitions, it aims to discover, train, and celebrate top talent aged 28 and under. Winning the competition reflects Raymundo’s hard-earned skills. He now works as a chef at Claridge’s.

In an interview with Vogue Philippines, Raymundo shares that one of the most important lessons he learned while working as a chef at the historic luxury hotel in London’s Mayfair is to treat everyone equally, regardless of status. “Working with such a high standard and such a high ceiling of excellence, every plate you put out for a guest has to be perfect,” he says. “From, let’s say, a king, to someone saving up for a month or three months just to eat in Claridge’s, every plate has to be perfect as if it was for a VIP.”

However, building his credentials was not a walk in the park. Raymundo says the biggest challenge in his career was starting from scratch. He never attended culinary school. Instead, he went straight into what he describes as “a hardcore kitchen.” Those experiences pushed him to learn quickly and stay ahead.

It was through those same experiences that he learned the value of hard work and honed the skills that brought him to where he is today. Since Young Chef England incorporates sustainability into its judging criteria, Raymundo made sure it was something that aligned with his own approach to cooking.

“Sustainability in the competition was to actually use your scraps or all the ingredients you never use for your three main dishes in your canapé section. Basically, it was more like saying you’re such an exceptional chef to be able to use everything, that you can to make something new. It allowed me to know that I’m skillful enough to think like this.”

He may still be enjoying the highs of his success, but Raymundo says his next big challenge will be the international competition in March 2027, where he will represent England and compete against Young Chef winners from around the world.

“Be open to learning, even if you think it is wrong. Because you can,” Raymundo says, sharing the advice he would give to young Filipino chefs who dream of working in some of the world’s best kitchens. “What one of my main chefs said to me before was, you can learn from everyone, no matter where they came from or what their position is. You will always learn one or two things they do differently that may be better than what you are already doing.”