The Basque Culinary World Prize (BCWP) is celebrating its 10th edition. Created by the Basque Government and the Basque Culinary Center in 2016, the award recognises chefs with transformative initiatives including professionals who, with talent, knowledge, and creativity, transcend traditional restaurant boundaries to generate impact in multiple fields.

 

For the first time, past winners will gather at the Basque Culinary Center in Donostia–San Sebastián for an event featuring several activities: a public event and also an evening awards ceremony.

 

The Basque Culinary Center auditorium will showcase how cuisine can contribute to scientific and technological advancements, address climate change, influence food education and childhood nutrition, help to defend biodiversity, promote healthier consumption habits that curb diseases such as diabetes and obesity, support community social development, and advocate for local producers, territories, and cultural identities threatened in a globalised world.

 

Attendees will include Leticia Landa (USA), who supports immigrant women in San Francisco through La Cocina; Andrés Torres (Spain), founder of Global Humanitaria, which provides assistance in conflict zones; Fatmata Binta (Sierra Leone), recognised for her championing Fulani nomadic cuisine in Ghana through Dine on a Mat; Ebru Baybara Demir Demir (Turkey), who leads regenerative agriculture and social inclusion projects; Anthony Mynt (USA), for his Zero Foodprint initiative which seeks to reduce the restaurant sector’s carbon footprint; Leonor Espinosa (Colombia), for promoting social innovation in the Colombian Caribbean through FUNELO; and Maria Fernanda Di Giacobbe (Venezuela), for demonstrating how cacao can empower socially excluded communities through Cacao de Origen.

 

The Basque Culinary Center will also host the ceremony for the 10th edition of the Basque Culinary World Prize at 6:30 PM, where the award will be presented to this year's winner, Leticia Landa. The event, which will be attended by prominent figures in the Basque gastronomy and food sector, will also feature speeches by Amaia Barredo Martín, the Basque Government’s Minister of Food, Rural Development, Agriculture and Fisheries; Joan Roca, President of the Basque Culinary World Prize Jury; Vicente Atxa, President of the Basque Culinary Center Board of Trustees; and Joxe Mari Aizega, Director of the Basque Culinary Center.

MUCH MORE THAN A PRIZE

 

The Basque Culinary World Prize is a unique global award presented by the Basque Government and the Basque Culinary Center. It recognises chefs whose transformative initiatives address innovation, technology, education, environment, health, the food industry, and social and economic development.

 

Launched in 2016, the prize highlights how gastronomy can be a force for transformation, recognising entrepreneurial men and women committed to excellence who are innovative, creative, tenacious, and above all, engaged with their communities.

 

More than 1,250 nominations and around 850 nominees from 42 countries, more than 50 finalists and special mentions and 10 winners from countries including Venezuela, Colombia, Australia, the US, Spain, Sierra Leone, and Turkey, have shaped a prize described by the media as the “Nobel of Gastronomy,” supported by internationally renowned academics and experts, including some of the world’s leading chefs.

 

Each year, through its winner and special mentions, the prize sends a message to the international community, highlighting the various areas in which chefs can contribute to society.

 

 

 

LETICIA LANDA, WINNER OF 2025

 

On October 22, the Basque Culinary World Prize announced Leticia Landa as the 2025 winner and recognised the two chefs with special mentions: João Diamante for his project in Rio de Janeiro (Brazil), and Matthew Evans for his work in Tasmania (Australia). Once again, the prize showcases current global challenges and identifies chefs who are entrepreneurial, committed to excellence, innovative, creative, and dedicated to their communities.

 

On October 22, the Basque Culinary World Prize announced Leticia Landa as the 2025 winner, alongside two special mentions: João Diamante for his project in Rio de Janeiro (Brazil), and Matthew Evans for his work in Tasmania (Australia). Once again, the prize showcases current global challenges and identifies chefs who are entrepreneurial, committed to excellence, innovative, creative, and dedicated to their communities.

 

Born in Texas to Mexican immigrant parents, Landa understands the challenges of integrating into a new community through work and education. Balancing time between kitchens and volunteer efforts, she studied Anthropology. In 2008, she joined La Cocina, where she has played a key role in the evolution of a network that now includes around 100 businesses, both incubated and graduated.

 

More than 40 restaurants, cafes, and kiosks operating in the San Francisco Bay Area have gone through the program. Among its greatest achievements, Landa highlights that 70% of participants have active businesses 10 years after graduating, including people like Veronica Salazar (founder of El Huarache Loco, a 20-year culinary legacy), Reem Assil (of Reem's California, author of the book Arabiyya: Recipes from the Life of an Arab in Diaspora); Fernay McPherson (of Minnie Bell's Soul Movement, a "Rising Star Chefs" in San Francisco), Nite Yun (a Cambodian refugee and now owner of the restaurant Lunette; featured on shows like Chef's Table (Netflix); and Koji Kanematsu, head of Onigilly, with six Japanese restaurants in the San Francisco Bay Area.

 

The €100,000 prize money from the Basque Culinary World Prize will be used this year to support the chef's initiative that benefits individuals and society. According to Leticia Landa, “Winning this prize has been incredible, and seeing how the profile of 'La Cocina' has risen globally in recent weeks has been amazing. More than anything, seeing how moved all the chefs I've worked with for so many years were to see 'La Cocina' in the news has been incredibly rewarding. It has meant so much to our community.”

 

Landa was chosen by a jury composed of influential chefs from the Basque Culinary Center International Council, chaired by Joan Roca (Spain – El Celler de Can Roca), and including Gastón Acurio (Peru), Pia León (Peru), Yoshihiro Narisawa (Japan), Manu Buffara (Brazil), Michel Bras (France), Trine Hahnemann (Denmark), Mauro Colagreco (Argentina–France), Elena Reygadas (Mexico), Josh Niland (Australia), Narda Lepes (Argentina), and ThiTid Tassanakajohn (Thailand). On this occasion, they were also joined by Diego Guerrero and Elena Arzak.

 

 

10 EDITIONS, 10 CHEFS WITH TRANSFORMATIVE INITIATIVES

 

Some of the winners of the Basque Culinary World Prize will participate in a public event and a unique ceremony.

 

“For the past ten years, the Basque Culinary World Prize has been a catalyst for partnerships and shared learning. It has been a platform that has shown the world that cuisine can educate, heal, unite, innovate, and inspire all at once. This prize has created a network of people who demonstrate that gastronomy has a multiplying impact, capable of transforming environments, opening opportunities, and building the future. May these ten years be just the beginning of a long history of recognising those who have contributed to creating a fairer and more supportive world,” emphasised Councillor Amaia Barredo.

 

“This year, in addition to presenting the award to Leticia Landa for her inspiring work, we are celebrating ten editions in which, through BCWP, we continue to demonstrate that gastronomy is much more than technique or tradition: it is a force capable of transforming communities, improving lives, and building a more humane future. When knowledge, creativity, and commitment are put at the service of society, gastronomy becomes a true engine of change, capable of generating impact where before there were only limitations.” Said Joxe Mari Aizega, General Director of the Basque Culinary Center.

 

The winner of this edition, Leticia Landa, will kick off both events by talking about the gastronomic businesses and economic mobility she works with from the La Cocina Project, to help women and migrants in San Francisco (USA).

 

The first winner of this award in 2016, Maria Fernanda Di Giacobbe, who leads Cacao de Origen in Venezuela, speaks today of the journey to the origin of cacao, and of her project around criollo cacao as a source of identity, culture and economic wealth, with which she articulated a network of education, entrepreneurship and development in producing communities. Maria said, “The BCWP made our work visible and gave us fantastic support to create more schools. We teach in cocoa-producing countries in the Americas, in India, Japan, Europe, and the USA; the BCWP was a calling card that continues to open new gastronomic horizons for us, allowing us to expand our network of knowledge around cocoa and chocolate”.

 

Fatmata Binta, 2022 winner and creator of Dine on a Mat in Ghana, and Ebru Baybara Demir, who runs From Soil to Plate from Turkey, discuss the power of "Seeds for a Sustainable Future," and how gastronomy can empower women living in rural areas around the world, dismantling prejudices and highlighting the richness of cultural exchange.

 

As Fatmata says about the award, “The Basque Culinary World Prize has been very meaningful for both me and my project, Dine on a Mat. This recognition has opened new opportunities to share Fulani culture and cuisine with the world, as well as reinforcing our commitment to sustainable practices. It has been a great boost in helping us empower women and communities across Africa, giving us a stronger voice in the fight for food sovereignty and social change.”

 

“Through gastronomy, we learned that integration is not about giving charity, but about giving people back their ability to produce. Projects built on this vision have now been implemented throughout Turkey. My work stopped being just about cooking: it became a transformative force that transcended the walls of the kitchen. When I was first nominated for the Basque Culinary World Prize in 2017, I finally found the language to describe this work,” Ebru said.

 

Anthony Myint, the 2019 winner, speaks about his Zero Foodprint initiative, a movement focused on climate change and better food, which has become a global leader in regenerative gastronomy under the motto "from table to farm." He says, "When I received the BCWP, I was in the midst of a transition: from being a chef aspiring to influence the food system to dedicating myself full-time to creating a global Table to Farm movement to restore the climate. The recognition and financial resources were absolutely fundamental to this work, and it wouldn't have been possible without the award funds. We went from focusing on modifying eating habits to directly transforming agriculture; from a quest for purity to mobilising truly transformative progress."

 

From Colombia, Leonor Espinosa, owner of Leo and leader of FUNLEO, a non-profit organisation dedicated to generating social well-being in rural ethnic communities, for which she was awarded the BCWP, presents

Ciclobioma Restaurar, an eight-course tasting menu that connects haute cuisine with Colombian ecosystems, using native ingredients and ancestral knowledge. This offering celebrates and promotes local Colombian products and flavours, while also highlighting the value of the country's biodiversity and the social aspects of gastronomy. As she states, for her, "receiving the Basque Culinary World Prize marked a turning point in my career. It validated a vision that goes beyond the kitchen: that of transforming communities through their biocultural heritage. This recognition gave greater strength and visibility to FUNLEO, consolidating a path that unites gastronomy and social development."

 

Finally, Andrés Torres, 2024 winner, founder of Global Humanitaria and owner of Casa Nova, will discuss how gastronomy can influence children's food security and education, highlighting its power to improve health, promote conscious consumption, and build a sustainable food culture. Their presentation will emphasise access to food, water, and basic services, as well as the promotion of a healthy diet that fosters the well-being and holistic development of future generations.

 

In Torres' words, “This recognition has been a decisive boost in my career: receiving the BCWP has shown me how our work at the helm of Global Humanitaria is gaining international visibility and opening doors to global collaborations. Furthermore, we have been able, and continue to be able, to explain our humanitarian work in many countries, multiply the impact of our programs, and consolidate gastronomy as a tool for social transformation.”

 

It is worth noting that, although they were unable to attend today's event, this award also recognises three figures in international gastronomy whose projects have had a profound social and humanitarian impact.

 

On one hand, Jock Zonfrillo was chosen as the winner in 2028 for his tireless work in preserving the culinary heritage of Australia's Indigenous peoples. Until his death in 2023, he dedicated himself to rescuing, protecting, and disseminating the ancestral knowledge of an ancient culture, thus contributing to the appreciation and respect for the continent's gastronomic roots.

 

And the 2020 award winner José Andrés, distinguished for his powerful, global and inspiring response to the crisis caused by the COVID-19 pandemic, through his organisation World Central Kitchen, has demonstrated the transformative power of gastronomy as a tool to provide humanitarian assistance, ensure access to food in emergency situations and generate hope in communities affected by disasters around the world.

 

Spanish chef Xanty Elías was awarded the 2021 Basque Culinary World Prize for his work in children's food education. With his initiative "Children Eat the Future," he has been working since 2018 to incorporate a Gastronomic Culture subject into primary school curricula, convinced of the importance of educating children about food culture and conscious consumption. As he states, "BCWP was a breath of fresh air. Right after the pandemic, in a year when we weren't sure where society was headed, it made more sense than ever to know that our path wasn't a pipe dream. It gave us extraordinary visibility and reach, and the support of the Basque Culinary Center team was fundamental. It opened more doors for us and provided the best possible introduction at that time. Recognising the value of the project was key."