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The Basque Culinary World Prize is back for a fifth edition, the international award seeking those "trailblazing chefs" having an impact beyond the kitchen, promoted by the Basque Government and the Basque Culinary Center.
To date, over 450 chefs from across 42 countries have been nominated for the "Nobel Prize of Gastronomy" where the winner is awarded 100,000 euros to dedicate to their cause, whether tackling climate change through food or improving the lives of their local community.
The competition has gone from strength to strength, despite only launching five years ago. Project manager Sasha Correa explains: "it's exciting to see how it grows each year and all the new stories that we discover through this prize, it' really exciting to see how chefs are embracing a totally different way to be a professional. Young chefs realise that they have a bigger responsibility and that the role comes with being able to educate people or even be an activist because of how influential chefs are today."
Online Nominations open: How to Apply
Nominations are now open on the Basque Culinary’s website, until 4 May 2020.
This is a chance for culinary professionals to be recognised for their groundbreaking work, beyond the kitchen, in a number of fields from culinary innovation, health and nutrition to the environment and social and economic development, among many others.
Candidates must be nominated by active culinary professionals - chefs, restaurant owners, food writers, journalists, among others - or by institutions from the sector.
Make your nominations here
The Jury of the Basque Culinary World Prize 2020
The jury is made up of some of the biggest names in gastronomy, including; Massimo Bottura, chairman Joan Roca (Spain) as well as famous chefs like Andoni Luis Aduriz (Basque country), Eneko Axta (Basque country), Manu Buffara (Brasil), Dominique Crenn (USA), Trine Hahnemann (Denmark), Yoshihiro Narisawa (Japan), Anthony Myint (USA) and Enrique Olvera (Mexico).
The winner will be announced on 25 June 2020.
The Hall of Basque Culinary Prize Winners
Anthony Myint from the USA was last year's winner, using cooking to tackle climate change in his initiatives Perennial Farming Initiative and Zero Foodprint.
Scottish/Australian chef Jock Zonfrillo, from Adelaide's Orana restaurant, won the prize in 2018 for his work with the Orana Foundation, preserving indigenous knowledge and cataloguing ingredients in Australia.
In 2017, the Basque Culinary World Prize went to Colombian Leonor Espinosa for her work promoting "Gastronomy for development" with her foundation, FunLeo.
The 2016 prize winner was María Fernanda Di Giacobbe from Venezuela, recognised for her work with her Cacao de Origen project in creating a network of training, entrepreneurship, research and development around cocoa.
