• World Chocolate Masters 2026 Romania marks an important premiere for Romanian confectionery and chocolate making: for the first time, our country is represented in the grand finale of the competition, by the confectioner from Craiova, Marinel Bejan. He competes in Antwerp, Belgium, alongside 14 professionals from different countries and regions of the world.
A historic presence for Romania
Sailor Bejan obtained the right to represent Romania after winning the regional selection dedicated to South-Eastern Europe. Thus, he becomes the first Romanian to reach the World Chocolate Masters world finals, an important milestone for the professional community in our country.
With over two decades of experience in the profession, Sailor Bejan combines a background in economics with a passion for contemporary confectionery. The competition organizers present him as a professional who transforms technique, balance of flavors and aesthetics into a personal language of chocolate.
He is also a member of the National Association of Chefs and Confectioners in Tourism, which publicly announced its participation in the international final. For Romania, the qualification represents more than just participation: it is a confirmation of the increase in the technical and creative level of the chocolatier profession.
Marinel Bejan entered the competition alongside renowned names in the international confectionery world, each finalist bringing their own vision of how chocolate can be interpreted artistically and gustatively. The final rewards not only the spectacular, but also the ability to build harmony between aroma, texture, design and story.
Antwerp final
The final World Chocolate Masters 2026 takes place from October 26–27 at the Handelsbeurs in Antwerp. It is the first time in more than two decades that the competition has moved from Paris to another city, the choice of Antwerp being symbolic for a city associated with the Belgian chocolate tradition.
This year's theme is "Play & Taste", a concept that invites competitors to go beyond the boundaries of classic taste. Chocolate thus becomes a means of conveying emotions, memories, cultures and sensory experiences, not just an ingredient for desserts.
During the two days of competition, the finalists were challenged through four creative directions: creating two candy cakes with different taste identities, making an artistic chocolate sculpture, designing a fresh dessert inspired by the energy of the city of Antwerp, and imagining an innovative chocolate gift.
The competitors and the road to the title
The finals featured 15 chocolatiers and confectioners who had qualified through national or regional selections. After the first stages of the competition, the organizers announced eight superfinalists, including Jérémy Monsel from Canada, Łukasz Roguski from Poland, Samuel Fremaux from France, Sanghwa Lee from South Korea, Tommaso Grollero from Italy, Kasper Kleihs from Sweden, Keita Koshimizu from Japan and Lyu Haoran from China.
Other finalists include: Sailor Bejan for Romania, Vincent Denis for Benelux, Quentin Guirao for Switzerland, Abner Ivan for Latin America and other top professionals in the world of chocolate.
The significance of the competition
The title of World Chocolate Master 2026 is to be awarded on the evening of October 27, and the organizers have scheduled the announcement of the winner at 19:30 PM CET.
The presence of a Romanian in the World Chocolate Masters finals opens a new stage for the confectioner and chocolatier profession in Romania. It is the perfect opportunity to show that local talent can compete on the same stage with professionals from countries with long traditions in chocolate making.
Beyond the final result, Marinel Bejan's participation in Antwerp brings to the attention of the Romanian public a profession in which technical precision, creativity and story meet in each product. World Chocolate Masters 2026 thus also becomes a source of inspiration for the next generation of confectioners and chocolatiers in Romania.
Article written by Gabriela Dan, Editor-in-Chief Arta Albă
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