The Tempest has won the Liverpool Pancake Race 2026, with head chef Lee Johnson (39) taking the crown. 

The win marks a double bill for the city’s Ma Boyles Group, who won last year’s race. Lee Johnson came second in 2025 wearing crocs, but managed to batter the competition to seal the top spot. 

Widely regarded as the cultural highlight of Liverpool’s events calendar, the Pancake Race was first launched in the early 1980s, and revived in the 2000s. Liverpool’s Pancake Race sees chefs from the city’s top venues compete in a flipping marvellous act of bravery. Each must make a pancake in advance and race, safely, in three laps of the gardens at Liverpool Parish Church. 

The volume of chefs entered into this year’s race meant the event had to be held with two heats, with the top two runners entering the final run. 

The winning chef has been awarded with an engraved pancake pan. 

Iain Hoskins is from Ma Boyles Group,

“I’m unbelievably proud we’ve held onto the title for a second year. Seb did an amazing job last year but withdrew with an injury. Lee, the Head Chef from The Tempest came second last year but we had high hopes for him. We’re thrilled”. 

The venues who took part in 2026 include, Hilton Hotel, The Pen Factory, Crowne Plaza, Tempest, Nova Scotia, Titanic Hotel, Atlantic Tower Hotel, Fazenda, The Municipal and, defending champions, Ma Boyles.