Who is chef Sel Bracamonte on MasterChef: The Professionals 2026?

With MasterChef: The Professionals 2026 now in full swing on BBC One, we find out more about Sel Bracamonte, one of the chefs taking part in this year’s competition.

Originally from Guatemala, Sel spent time working at The Fat Duck and now lives in Brighton.

Age at start of filming

35

Job role

Private chef

Chef background

“I’m self-taught and largely did this through travelling at a young age - immersing myself in different cultures and cuisines, learning as much as I could wherever I went.

“At the start of my career, I worked in a place where they use to serve food to elite athletes that were training for the upcoming Olympics. Working here threw me in a world I didn’t know, here discipline was the centre of everything we did.

“Over the years I’ve worked in many wonderful places, and I’ve enjoyed all of them. Working in Los Angeles was amazing. The head chef, Gilberto Cetina Jr, was an inspiration to me, and this was the time I realised cooking was my passion and not just a job.

“Just before entering into this competition, I was working at The Fat Duck, starting there as a chef de partie was an unbelievable experience and taught me about cooking with precision like I’d never seen before.”

Who and what inspired you to become a chef?

“Cooking came as a surprise rather than a calling. I learned to cook from a very young age by watching my mum and grandmother. As my parents worked long hours, I took on the responsibility of cooking for my two younger sisters, which is where my relationship with food really began.

“Later on, when I got jobs in kitchens, my passion was first about the way a kitchen was run than cooking itself. I then started travelling and my world opened up hugely, experiences like at chef Gilberto’s wonderful Mexican restaurant in Los Angeles were game-changers – and I learned what to be a chef that understands food could do when you respect the ingredients and let your imagination fly. There, I learned that I actually loved cooking and creating.”

How would you describe your style of cooking and any influences on it?

“My style draws inspiration from flavours, colours, textures, and cultures. Over the years, I’ve gathered a vast amount of knowledge and experience across different areas of the kitchen, and as I’ve grown more confident, I’ve become less afraid to experiment with style, colours, textures.

“At the core of my cooking, I combine classic French techniques with ancient Mayan influences to create bold dishes that can sometimes feel unconventional, but are always rooted in respect for ingredients.”