Nominations for the fifth edition of the Basque Culinary World Prize are now open until 4 May, 2020. Professionals and institutions within the industry are able to nominate chefs who have ‘transformed society through gastronomy’.
Nominations must be made through the Basque Culinary World Prize website.
The winner will receive €100,000 ($170,500aud) to devote to an initiative of their choice.
The annual world celebrates the impact of culinary arts beyond the kitchen. Nominated chefs should have had an impact on areas including innovation and technology, education, the environment, health, social and economic development.
The candidates will be evaluated with a technical committee selecting 10 finalists. The Basque Culinary World Prize winner will the be selected from the ten finalists by the Prize Jury at the tenth annual meeting of the Basque Culinary Center International Council, to be hosted in Japan in September by two-Michelin star chef and Prize Jury member, Yoshihiro Narisawa.
The jury will be chaired by Joan Roca, president of the jury of the Basque Culinary World Prize and International Council of the Basque Culinary Center and chef of esteemed restaurant El Celler de Can Roca in Girona.
“The Basque Culinary World Prize is the most respected award among chefs, who, currently, take on gastronomy in a very different way,” says Roca. “We now understand the great responsibility of our profession and the impact that food has on sustainability, from an environmental, economic and social perspective. In this 5th edition, we invite members of the gastronomic community worldwide to participate in the nominations. This way, this inspiring award will keep on discovering transformative and inspiring stories that may not have the public recognition they deserve, giving them a voice.”
Over the past four iterations more than 450 chefs from 42 countries have been nominated.
Australian-based chef Jock Zonfrillo won the Basque Culinary World Prize 2018.
“It opens up new doors, new opportunities, new projects, new funders, and new philanthropists so that’s great,” said Zonfrillo, speaking to Hospitality about the importance of industry awards. “We need to keep going and [the work The Orana Foundation does] is a bit of a struggle to be honest. But stuff like this award really really helps.”