28th June: Yesterday The World’s 50 Best Restaurants celebrated 15 years at the forefront of the culinary world by hosting a unique day of gastronomic discussion and celebration, presented by Miele, in Barcelona, Spain. The event brought together world-renowned chefs FerranAdrià, René Redzepi, Joan Roca, Massimo Bottura and Daniel Humm, each of whom has had a restaurant at No.1 in The World’s 50 Best Restaurants over the last decade and a half.
A special gastronomic feast was curated by FerranAdrià, whose restaurant El Bulli was the first ever No.1 in 2002, at the Bravo24 restaurant in the W Barcelona hotel. Chefs, media and VIPs from all over the world gathered to celebrate the growth and influence of The World’s 50 Best Restaurants over its 15-year history, with guests including GastónAcurio from Peru, Richard Ekkebus from Hong Kong, Mauro Colagreco from France, Vladimir Mukhin from Russia and many more.
The afternoon of gastronomy was a true fiesta with a host of Barcelona-based and former El Bulli chefs creating Adrià’s contemporary take on global tapas. The final piece was a remarkable 2m-high cake that was created to mark the unique occasion.
In 2002, The World’s 50 Best Restaurants was born as a simple feature idea in a small specialist magazine. It morphed into an awards ceremony in 2003 and grew up to become a giant of the gastronomic world. Over the last 15 years it has evolved from the original list that was created with the help of around 70 people to a sophisticated process with more than 1,000 voters spread across the world and generating a worldwide media storm around the announcement of the list.
The World’s 50 Best Restaurants has been on a sensational journey and as it celebrates the ‘superchefs’ who have helped shape the global culinary landscape over the last 15 years, it is clear that the future of food, restaurants and gastronomy is in great hands.
This historic gathering in Barcelona celebrated both the past and the present and raised a glass to the future, with each of the world-beating chefs outlining his personal vision for the future of gastronomy at the special edition of #50BestTalks, hosted at Barcelona’s Antigua Fábrica Estrella Damm.
Feeding mind, body and soul
Massimo Bottura of OsteriaFrancescana spoke passionately of his non-profit, Food for Soul, and how he believes chefs, artisans, food suppliers and public and private organisations have a social responsibility to combat food waste whilst simultaneously helping those in need to feed their bodies, minds and souls through education and inclusion.
Sapiens: transferring knowledge to future generations
FerranAdrià of El Bulli discussed how the uncensored sharing of information on food, cuisine and culture with other chefs and gourmets will further the creative processes both in and out of the kitchen. Understanding food from every facet, whether through molecular architecture, agriculture, biology or history of its origin, is essential for posterity and gastronomic growth.
Back to basics: refocusing on deliciousness and graciousness
Daniel Humm and Will Guidara of Eleven Madison Park discussed the need to reflect on and gain a deeper understanding of the past in order to move forward and grow as chefs and restaurateurs. Speaking of their own quest for gastronomic enlightenment, they revealed that the perfect recipe for the ultimate fine dining experience, much like their partnership, is the synergy of deliciousness and graciousness.
The philosophy of family: a future model for gastronomy
Joan Roca touched on his desire to create a well-balanced working environment in the world of fine dining, one that focuses on the well-being of staff and is reminiscent of the thing he holds most dear – family. Speaking passionately about what he calls the humanisation of gastronomy, Roca acknowledged that with acclaim and passion come long hours in the kitchen. To remedy this, he and his brothers have introduced two ‘teams’ or ‘shifts’ at El Celler de Can Roca so their beloved staff can rest and spend time outside of the kitchen with family.
Go wild: discovering, tasting and exploring wild food
René Redzepi explored his vision of a world where the next generation rediscovers and connects with nature. He spoke of how, through his latest initiative, Vild Mad (Wild Food), he wants all children to learn how to forage and gain a greater understanding about the origins of food. He added that teaching kids to forage is as important as teaching them to read and write.
William Drew, Group Editor of The World’s 50 Best Restaurants, said: “It is fitting that our 15th Anniversary celebration, presented by Miele, brought together a community of great chefs and restaurateurs – led by five of the most influential chefs of the modern era – not only to mark our collective journey but to look firmly to the future. The World’s 50 Best Restaurants lists, awards and overall brand have come a long way in the last 15 years, and we look forward to continuing that development. We certainly have plenty more to offer!”
“Going on this culinary journey with The World’s 50 Best Restaurants emphasizes the strong connection between our premium products and the creation of world class cuisine,” explains Dr Axel Kniehl, Executive Director Marketing and Sales at Miele. “This collaboration underlines our common passion for progressive excellence and culinary experiences.”
Award-winning chef FerranAdrià added: “I am delighted to have been part of this historic event alongside my fellow chefs. To be represented on The World’s 50 Best Restaurants list is a great honour for chefs and restaurants worldwide as it is a recognition of their artistic talent, skill and innovation. The World’s 50 Best Restaurants creates unique opportunities for leading chefs to come together to celebrate and share our love of food and the dining experience.”
Over its history, the list of The World’s 50 Best Restaurants has had seven different establishments at No.1, each named as The World’s Best Restaurant. They are: El Bulli, led by FerranAdrià (2002, 2006-2009); The French Laundry, led by Thomas Keller (2003, 2004); The Fat Duck, led by Heston Blumenthal (2005); Noma, led by René Redzepi (2010-2012, 2014); El Celler de Can Roca, led by the Roca brothers (2013, 2015), OsteriaFrancescana, led by Massimo Bottura (2016) and Eleven Madison Park, led by Daniel Humm and Will Guidara (2017).
William Reed Business Media
Organised by William Reed Business Media, The World’s 50 Best Restaurants list has been published since 2002. William Reed Business Media is solely responsible for organising the awards, collating the votes and producing the list.
Presenting partner: Miele
Miele is the world’s leading manufacturer of premium domestic appliances including ovens, steam ovens, hobs, cooker hoods, refrigeration appliances, coffee makers, dishwashers and laundry and floor care products. This line-up is augmented by commercial appliances (Miele Professional). The Miele Company, founded in 1899 in Germany, is represented in more than 100 countries worldwide.
Partners
Estrella Damm – Beer partner
S.Pellegrino & Acqua Panna – Water partner
Lavazza – Coffee partner
Bodega Garzón – Wine partner
Johnnie Walker Blue Label – Whisky partner
Ron Zacapa – Rum partner
Seedlip – Non-alcoholic spirits partner
Cinco Jotas – Ibérico ham partner
Sosa – Culinary ingredients for chefs partner
W Barcelona – Hotel partner
How The World’s 50 Best Restaurants annual list is compiled
The list is created from the votes of The World’s 50 Best Restaurants Academy, an influential group of over 1,000 international leaders in the restaurant community. The panel in each region is made up of food writers and critics, chefs, restaurateurs and highly regarded ‘gastronomes’. Members list their choices in order of preference, based on their best restaurant experiences of the previous 18 months. There is no pre-determined check-list of criteria, but there are strict voting rules.
The World’s 50 Best Restaurants list is independently adjudicated by professional services consultancy Deloitte. This adjudication ensures that the integrity and authenticity of the voting process and the resulting list of The World’s 50 Best Restaurants are protected.
To see more details on The World’s 50 Best Restaurants voting process, visit www.theworlds50best.com/the-academy/manifesto
The best way to follow The World’s 50 Best Restaurants and its 15th anniversary celebrations is via our digital channels:
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