Anna Kawa-Kułyk

A finalist in the fifth series of MasterChef Polska, a culinary coach and a lover of world cuisine. She has been cooking since she was very young, and her passion for food is a constant in both her personal and professional life.

Her culinary journey began in two places – Silesia and Podhale. Growing up between these regions shaped her approach to food: on the one hand, a love of traditional Polish, Silesian and highlander cuisine; on the other, a keen curiosity about the world and a desire to discover new flavours. She herself described her cooking as traditional Polish cuisine with a touch of Silesia and Podhale, but presented in a modern, sometimes unexpected way.

In 2016, Anna decided to put her skills to the test in the fifth series of MasterChef Poland. She made it to the very top of the competition and became a finalist, tackling demanding challenges and facing the judgements of a panel comprising Magda Gessler, Anna Starmach and Michel Moran. Her participation in the programme was not only a test of her culinary skills, but also of her resilience to stress, creativity and ability to work under time pressure. Anna made it all the way to the final stage of the programme – she was only eliminated in the first part of the final, which was ultimately won by Magdalena Nowaczewska.

This experience is now one of the key elements of her approach as a culinary trainer – particularly when working with groups, where it is not only technique and recipes that count, but also good organisation, teamwork and the ability to work within tight time constraints.

After the programme ended, Anna remained active in the culinary world. Among other things, she appeared in a special episode of “MasterChef – The Best”, representing her team alongside Magda Nowaczewska and Grzegorz Bien.

Anna did not rest on her laurels after the experience gained on the programme. She is constantly honing her skills, learning new techniques and travelling in search of flavours, ingredients and culinary inspiration. One of the key stops on her culinary journey was Le Cordon Bleu in Paris, where she took a course in French cuisine. She puts the knowledge gained during her studies into practice, combining classic techniques with the experiences she has gained whilst travelling and exploring other culinary cultures.

Within our team, Anna is responsible for workshops on Georgian, Italian, French, Mexican and Colombian cuisine. This mix perfectly illustrates her culinary curiosity – from European classics and Italian simplicity, through aromatic Georgian cuisine, to the intense flavours of Mexico and South America.

During the workshops, she doesn’t focus solely on recipes. She demonstrates techniques, explains the relationships between ingredients and helps participants understand why a particular dish tastes the way it does. This enables participants to apply the principles they’ve learnt in their own kitchens later on.

Anna’s culinary skills have also been recognised by renowned chefs. During her culinary journey, she has had the opportunity to cook and showcase her skills in front of Michel Roux Jr., Benny Masekwameng and Harry Sasson. Her professional profile highlights these three names as key milestones in her culinary career.

Michel Roux Jr. is one of the most recognisable figures in British gastronomy and a member of the famous Roux family. For many years, he was associated with the London restaurant Le Gavroche, which became a symbol of high-class French cuisine in the UK.

Benny Masekwameng is a South African chef and television personality, best known as a judge on *MasterChef South Africa*.

Harry Sasson, meanwhile, is one of Colombia’s best-known chefs, and his restaurant, Harry Sasson, has been included in the Latin America’s 50 Best Restaurants ranking. This is particularly interesting given Anna’s interest in Colombian cuisine.

Anna is also excellent at leading private cookery workshops, corporate events and team-building sessions. Her experience on MasterChef and her work with groups mean she is able to combine cookery lessons, fun and team-building. Participants aren’t just observers – they prepare dishes together, share tasks and learn to work as a team. Her language skills are an added bonus. She is fluent in French and has a good command of Italian and English, which means she can work comfortably with international groups too.

Anna combines her experience as a MasterChef finalist with practical culinary knowledge, a curiosity about the world and boundless energy for sharing her passion for cooking with others.

Classes:
Colombian cuisine
Homemade Pasta from Scratch
Georgian cuisine
Mexican cuisine