Can food change the world?
The Basque Culinary World Prize firmly believes it can. Since 2016, this one-of-a-kind award has honored chefs from around the globe who demonstrate the positive impact of gastronomy in areas such as culinary innovation, health, nutrition, education, the environment, the food industry, and social or economic development.
Supported by the Basque Culinary Center and the Basque Government as part of the Euskadi-Basque Country Strategy, the prize celebrates the commitment, vision, and social impact of a chef. A prestigious jury composed of culinary icons—such as Michel Bras, Yoshihiro Narisawa, Joan Roca, and Dominique Crenn for the 2025 edition—selects the winner, who then receives €100,000 to allocate to the initiative of their choice.
Past winners include: Fatmata Binta, who promotes Fulani culinary heritage while supporting women’s empowerment, José Andrés, whose emergency kitchens feed survivors of disasters, Ebru Baybara Demir, who uses gastronomy as a tool for integration while supporting local agriculture and refugee women, and Andrés Torres, who combines sustainable cooking and humanitarian action to defend children’s rights and food security in crisis zones.
The Basque Culinary World Prize reflects a philosophy deeply rooted in Basque culture: respect for the land, a sense of community, and the desire to build a fairer future.
“It’s wonderful to be able to show how gastronomy and chefs can help move society toward a better future, where food culture holds real value and can contribute to greater awareness and better habits among the consumers of tomorrow,” said Xanty Elías, 2021 laureate.
A way of saying that a chef’s place is no longer just in the kitchen…
