In November culinary greats from around the globe will travel to Luxembourg for the Culinary World Cup. Included in that is Team Australia, with the team members announced in September. 
Melbourne-based Adrianna Kolda was named as the team’s pastry chef, alongside chocolatier Christean Ng. 
Baking Business caught up with Adrianna to hear about how preparations for the Culinary World Cup are going.

It was recently announced that you’re part of Team Australia that will compete at Culinary World Cup Luxembourg 2026. Can you tell us a bit about the journey to joining Team Australia?

Being selected to join Team Australia has been an incredible honour and something I’m still incredibly proud and excited about. My journey has really been built through years of working in the hotel industry and developing my skills as a pastry chef, and being part of the Australian National Culinary Team feels like a completely new and exciting chapter.

When I was approached about the opportunity, I was incredibly excited, but also nervous. The Culinary World Cup is such a prestigious international competition, and the opportunity to represent Australia alongside such an incredibly talented group of chefs is something I don’t take lightly.

One thing that people probably don’t see is just how much work goes into being part of a team like this. The amount of training and preparation already involved is honestly incredible. From our Team Manager and Captain through to every chef, reserve and our helpers, everyone puts an enormous amount of time and effort into making this happen.

It genuinely feels like a second full time job at times! There are training sessions, planning, testing and practice runs, and everyone is giving up so much of their own time to be part of it. But that’s also what makes it so amazing. Everyone is there because they’re passionate about what we’re doing and committed to representing Australia at the highest level.

One of the things that has made this journey particularly special has been getting to know the team. Every chef brings something completely different to the table, with an incredible amount of knowledge, experience and talent between them. What has stood out to me most, though, is how supportive everyone has been.

I’m incredibly excited to learn from them, work alongside them and contribute to the team as we prepare to represent Australia together.

What will the next few weeks and even months look like as you and the rest of Team Australia prepare for the competition?

The next few months are going to be extremely busy! Preparing for a competition of this level involves so much more than simply practising recipes.

We’ll be working together as a team to develop and refine every aspect of what we’ll be presenting. There will be plenty of testing, practice runs, technical development and fine tuning. Timing, consistency and teamwork are going to be incredibly important, particularly when you’re producing food at such a large scale under competition conditions.

For me personally, there will be a huge amount of work involved in refining the pastry elements and making sure everything is technically strong, creative and consistent. But one of the things I’m really excited about is that this isn’t about one individual chef. It’s about bringing everyone’s skills and experience together.

The team is made up of incredibly talented chefs, and everyone brings their own strengths and perspective. The amount I’ve already learned from the team has been amazing, and I’m sure that will only continue over the coming months.

Do you know what the competition at the Culinary World Cup Luxembourg 2026 will involve?

Yes. The Culinary World Cup is one of the most prestigious international culinary competitions in the world, bringing together national teams from across the globe.

The competition requires an enormous amount of preparation, organisation and precision. Teams need to produce and present food at an extremely high level while working within strict timeframes and competition conditions.

For me, the pastry component involves a huge amount of technical skill, creativity and precision. Every detail needs to be carefully considered, from the concept behind what we’re creating through to flavour, texture, presentation and consistency.

But what makes the competition particularly exciting is that we’re representing Australia as one team. Every person has an important role to play, and ultimately everything needs to come together as one cohesive presentation.

I’m really looking forward to seeing how all of our individual strengths come together. The level of talent and experience within Team Australia is incredible, and being able to learn from and compete alongside these chefs is an opportunity I’m extremely grateful for.

On a more personal note, what was it that drew you to a career as a pastry chef?

I’ve always been drawn to food and creativity. Growing up, my dad taught me some of the basics of baking, and I think that’s where my love for pastry really began.

What I love about pastry is that it sits somewhere between science and creativity. There’s a huge amount of technical precision involved, but at the same time, it gives you the opportunity to create something completely personal.

I also love the emotional side of food. A dessert can bring back a memory, create nostalgia or simply make someone happy. Being able to create something that people experience and remember is something I find incredibly rewarding.

Over the years, that passion has only grown. The more I’ve learned, the more I’ve realised how much there is still to discover, which is one of the things I love most about this industry.

Can you give us a general overview of your career progression?

I’ve worked in the hotel industry since 2014 and have built a strong background in pastry, particularly in high tea and large scale hotel operations.

My current role at Next Hotel Melbourne, Curio Collection by Hilton, has been a really important part of my career progression. I’ve had the opportunity to take on more responsibility, challenge myself creatively and continue developing professionally.

I’ve learned an enormous amount from being here, particularly from my Executive Chef and the team around me. Having people who encourage you, challenge you and support your growth has been incredibly valuable.

I’m also very grateful for the support I’ve received from my General Manager and Next Hotel throughout my journey with Team Australia. They’ve been incredibly supportive of this opportunity and have allowed me the opportunity to take on this challenge and represent Australia.

What inspires you and your work?

I’m inspired by a lot of different things, but storytelling is probably the biggest one.

I love starting with an idea, memory, ingredient or place and thinking about how that can be translated into a dessert. Australia is particularly inspiring because we have such diverse landscapes, cultures and ingredients.

I’m also inspired by the people I work with. Being surrounded by talented chefs pushes you to think differently and continually improve. Since joining Next Hotel and now Team Australia, I’ve had the opportunity to work alongside and learn from some incredibly talented people, and that is constantly inspiring.

I think inspiration can come from almost anywhere, something you’ve seen while travelling, a childhood memory, a conversation or a particular ingredient.

For me, the exciting part is taking those ideas and turning them into something people can actually taste and experience.

Do you have a favourite creation you’ve made? Why is this?

That’s a difficult question because I’ve been lucky enough to create some really special things throughout my career, but I think some of my favourite work has been the collaborations I’ve done with Hendrick’s Gin.

Those creations have been particularly exciting because they’ve allowed me to really push my creativity and have a bit of fun with pastry. Hendrick’s has such a unique and quirky identity, so it gave me the opportunity to create desserts that weren’t just about flavour and technique, but also about storytelling, theatre and creating an experience.

I loved being able to take inspiration from the brand and translate that into something edible and unexpected. Those collaborations really allowed me to think outside the traditional idea of what a dessert should be and create something playful and memorable.

I think that’s why those creations stand out to me. They gave me the freedom to be creative and experiment, while still creating something that people could enjoy and connect with.

Is there anything else you’d like to add?

I’m incredibly grateful for the opportunity to be part of Team Australia and to represent my country at the Culinary World Cup in Luxembourg. I’m really excited about the opportunity to represent Australia on an international stage and to be part of such an incredible team.

There are also so many people behind the scenes who make an opportunity like this possible, including all our fantastic sponsors. I’m incredibly grateful for the support I’ve received from my workplace, my colleagues, friends and family.

And especially my husband, who has been incredibly supportive throughout all of this, even though I think I’ve barely seen him over the last month! The amount of time and commitment that goes into preparing for something like the Culinary World Cup affects the people around you as well, so having that support means everything.

I think the biggest thing I’m looking forward to is being part of something bigger than myself, working alongside an incredible team, representing Australia and hopefully creating something that we’re all proud to present on the world stage.

It’s going to be a huge amount of hard work, but I’m incredibly excited for what’s ahead.