With MasterChef: The Professionals 2026 now in full swing on BBC One, we find out more about Gemma Costa, one of the chefs taking part in this year’s competition.
Born and raised in Naples, Italy, Gemma now lives in Edinburgh, Scotland, with her wife Marta and their two dogs, Ikisi and Teaspa and runs her own business.
Age at start of filming
37
Job role
Chef Patron
Chef background
“I’ve cooked for as long as I can remember - long before it was ever a profession.
“My earliest memories are of watching my mum experiment fearlessly in the kitchen. Her curiosity and creativity shaped everything I know about food, and before long I took a cookery course for children and was baking cakes at eight years old and cooking for friends as a way of showing love.
“My professional journey began years later, almost by accident, when I was offered a trial shift in a kitchen despite barely speaking English. I worked hard, trained as a baker and sous chef, and fell completely in love with the craft.
“I went from baking bread and running a busy brunch pass serving 500+ guests to developing plant-based menus, managing teams, and building businesses.
“Today, I run Planet G - my own sustainable, plant-based food business. Starting it was one of the riskiest and proudest moments of my life.
“Winning the Scottish Street Food Awards early on proved we were onto something special. Even when our food truck was destroyed in an accident, we rebuilt the business from the ground up, turning hardship into innovation.”
Who and what inspired you to become a chef?
“My mum remains my greatest inspiration. Her love of food, her fearlessness, and the joy she brought to the kitchen shaped me as both a chef and a person.
“Growing up in Naples - where food is practically a religion - only deepened that connection. Travel also inspired me as I was exposed to a wide variety of local cuisines and fresh, regional produce.”
How would you describe your style of cooking and any influences on it?
“Good, honest food that happens to be plant-based.
“My cooking is Italian at heart - seasonal, expressive, and rooted in tradition - but influenced by the many cultures I’ve encountered throughout my travels.
“Healthy, fresh and sustainable ingredients are the foundation of my cooking. The outcome is a distinctive fusion that expresses my background and love of good food.
“I enjoy experimenting, breaking rules when needed, and creating dishes that feel comforting yet exciting.”
