Elena Arzak
Professional Jury - Spain
Elena Arzak is the fourth generation of her family to run the kitchen at the three-Michelin-starred Arzak Restaurant in San Sebastián. Trained in the principles of the New Basque Cuisine Movement championed by her legendary father, Chef Juan Mari Arzak, and the avant-garde Spanish cuisine that followed at the beginning of this century, she brings a distinct personality to her culinary creations. She has established a method of collaborative creativity with her team that fuels the continued innovation of Arzak's research-based, contemporary Basque cuisine. Elena attended Hotel and Restaurant Management School in Lucerne, Switzerland, expanding her culinary knowledge at fine European restaurants such as La Maison Troisgros, Pierre Gagnaire, Carré des Feuillants, and Le Vivarois in France, Louis XV in Monte Carlo, Le Gavroche in London, Antica Osteria del Ponte in Italy, and El Bulli in Spain, among others. She returned to the family restaurant in the 1990s, working her way through all the challenges while creating original dishes alongside her father, who continually supported and challenged her. In May 2001, the International Academy of Gastronomy awarded Elena the Chef of Avenir Award. In 2010, the Spanish Academy of Gastronomy awarded her the National Gastronomy Award. She subsequently received the World's Best Chef Award in 2012. Later, in her homeland, she was awarded the 2014 "Euskadi" Gastronomy Award for Best Restaurateur. Since then, she has continued to receive awards such as the 2015 Augie Leadership Award from the Culinary Institute of America and the 2018 UNWTO Special Ambassador Award from the World Tourism Organization, among others. Currently, Elena shares the helm at Arzak with her father, Juan Mari. They are chefs and collaborators. Their shared history, culinary knowledge, passion, and enthusiasm define the distinctive spirit of their world-renowned restaurant.