Be At One has crowned Angel Mir Candela from its Spitalfields bar as Bartender of the Year 2026 following the return of its annual Bartender Challenge, celebrating cocktail-making skills and hospitality talent across its UK estate.
The national final, held at Be At One Regent Street in London, brought together six bartenders competing for the title and a £3,000 first prize.
More than 200 bartenders participated in the competition, progressing through a series of in-bar heats and regional rounds before the six finalists were selected for the national event.
The final tested competitors across several aspects of professional bartending, including cocktail knowledge, pouring accuracy, speed, flair and guest engagement.
A new speed round was introduced for 2026, challenging finalists to demonstrate their technical skills and ability to perform under pressure in front of a live audience.
Angel Mir Candela impressed judges throughout the competition, securing both the overall Bartender of the Year title and the Most Knowledgeable Bartender award.
Sav from Be At One Bath finished second, while Hooper from Be At One Lincoln secured third place.
Additional individual awards recognised performances across specific bartending disciplines, with Eve from Be At One Bath named Fastest Bartender and Nick from Be At One Greek Street receiving the Best Pourer award.
The Lifetime Legend Award was presented to Joey from Be At One Milton Keynes, recognising a longstanding contribution to the business and its team culture.
Introduced for 2026, the Lifetime Legend Award replaces the previous Best Newcomer category, placing greater emphasis on recognising employees who have made sustained contributions to the brand.
Be At One Milton Keynes was also named Best Bar of the Year, with the venue led by General Manager Sam Milliner.
The award recognises the bar’s operational performance, team culture and commitment to customer experience.
Gemma Gallon, Senior Brand Training Manager at Be At One, said: “Bartender Challenge is much more than a competition. It’s a celebration of the incredible people who make Be At One what it is and showcases the passion, skill and personality that our teams bring to work every day.
“The standard this year was fantastic and every finalist should be incredibly proud of what they achieved. Angel delivered an outstanding performance throughout the competition, consistently demonstrating exceptional cocktail knowledge, technical ability and confidence behind the bar.
“We introduced a new speed round this year and, alongside our new Lifetime Legend award, it made for one of our most exciting competitions to date. The challenge continues to play a hugely important role in developing talent, recognising success and inspiring bartenders across our estate.”
The annual Bartender Challenge forms part of Be At One’s wider approach to employee development and retention, providing opportunities for bartenders to strengthen their technical knowledge, improve customer engagement and gain recognition for their performance.
Through its combination of practical challenges, internal competition and employee recognition, the programme aims to support career development while maintaining service standards across the company’s UK bars.
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