Ayesha Kalaji

Ayesha Kalaji is one of the most exciting chefs working in Britain today — and the accolades are beginning to reflect it. Named Chef of the Year at the prestigious Estrella Damm Top 50 2026, she is the Executive Chef and Owner of Queen of Cups in Glastonbury, a 17th-century coaching inn transformed into a contemporary Middle Eastern restaurant that holds a Michelin Bib Gourmand and continues to turn heads across the national food scene.

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​Raised in North Wales with deep familial and gastronomic roots in Jordan, Ayesha's food is entirely her own. It draws on her Jordanian heritage and Welsh upbringing to create dishes that feel personal, expressive and rooted in place — bold, spice-led cooking that blends local West Country produce with the flavours and rituals she absorbed during summers spent with her grandmother in Jordan. Later, while studying at SOAS, University of London, she researched the history and semiotics of Middle Eastern food, recreating spice blends dating as far back as the 13th century. This is cooking with real depth behind it.

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​After training at Leiths with merit, Ayesha sharpened her craft in some of London's most respected kitchens — The Palomar, Michelin-starred Sosban, The Good Egg and Bubala among them — before making the leap to open Queen of Cups. The restaurant's name is drawn from the Tarot, an homage to Glastonbury's mystical spirit, and its ethos — feminine energy, emotional connection, generosity — runs through every plate.

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Ayesha is a natural communicator who has appeared on Masterchef The Professionals and Great British Menu. She is never happier than when teaching an audience - whether on camera, at a small demo or on stage a big food festival.

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Beyond her Estrella Damm accolade and Michelin recognition, Ayesha has been named one of Code's Top 100 Most Influential Women, won Best Newcomer and Best Chef at the Trencherman Awards, and was shortlisted for Be Inclusive Chef of the Year. She is also a WSET Level 3 qualified wine expert, curating a list that includes wines from Lebanon and Jordan — Queen of Cups is one of only two UK restaurants currently offering Wines of Jordan.

 

Ayesha Kalaji is redefining modern Middle Eastern dining in Britain — boldly, joyfully, and entirely on her own terms.