Shekinah Inocente Bakes Her Way to Victory as Pizzamasteri 2026 Winner

The Pizzamasteri 2026 competition between Pizza & Buffa restaurants took place on Tuesday, June 2, at Pizza & Buffa in Prisma Linnanmaa, Oulu. The winning pizza by Vaasa-based Shekinah Inocente combined sweet and savory flavors in a delicious way.

The Pizzamasteri competition for Pizza & Buffa professionals was organized for the fourth time this year. The jury evaluated not only recipes and taste, but also customer orientation and personality. This year, Red Bull and Lantmännen Unibake also selected their own favorites.

“Pizzamasteri is a very meaningful event for us at Pizza & Buffa. It allows us to showcase the skills of our top professionals and offer our customers amazing new flavors,” explains Sarita Lehtinen, Business Director at SOK.

Five finalists advanced to the Pizzamasteri 2026 final: Jussi Niemenmaa from Pizza & Buffa Tornio with “Kanagyros”, Tatu Korhonen from Pizza & Buffa Mikkola in Pori with “The Burger”, Heli Hannukainen from Pizza & Buffa Kajaani with “Sweet Kana”, Tea Kujala from Pizza & Buffa Liisanlehto in Vaasa with “Hot Chicken Pickle”, and Shekinah Inocente with “Chorizo Delight”.

The winner was Shekinah Inocente from Vaasa. Her gold-winning pizza featured chorizo, mozzarella, pineapple, red onion, garlic, sour cream, and chili.

“All finalist pizzas were interesting, different from each other, and based on great ideas. The competition was especially tight at the top. The winning pizza itself was a true flavor bomb,” says Joonas Pöllänen, Product Development Manager at SOK.

Second place went to Jussi Niemenmaa from Tornio with “Kanagyros”, featuring oven-roasted chicken, semi-dried tomatoes, marinated red onion, garlic sauce, tzatziki, and arugula. Third place went to Heli Hannukainen from Kajaani with “Sweet Kana”, topped with chicken, sweet chili sauce, red onion, feta, and garlic.

Red Bull’s favorite was “Sweet Kana” by Heli Hannukainen, and Lantmännen’s favorite was “The Burger” by Tatu Korhonen, featuring minced meat, marinated red onion, cheddar, and blue cheese.

The freshly crowned top three will enjoy a delicious prize trip to Italy. In addition, their pizzas will be available in Pizza & Buffa restaurants this autumn.

“I’m so happy! I believe the secret to winning was confidence and good teamwork. Thank you everyone!” rejoices Shekinah Inocente.

The jury included Head Chef Marko Hirvonen from Lantmännen Unibake, Key Account Manager Miro Kurvinen from Red Bull Finland, Product Development Manager Joonas Pöllänen from SOK, Business Director (cafés and quick dining) Sarita Lehtinen from SOK, Group Manager Milla Sointu from Osuuskauppa Arina, and the reigning Pizzamasteri Terhi Laitinen from Pizza & Buffa Linnanmaa in Oulu. The event was hosted by radio personality Esko Eerikäinen.