Elena Arzak facts for kids
 |
|
| Born | Elena Arzak Espina 4 July 1969 San Sebastián, Basque Country, Spain |
|---|---|
| Cooking style | New Basque cuisine |
|
Rating(s)
|
|
|
Current restaurant(s)
|
|
|
Award(s) won
|
|
Elena Arzak is a famous chef from the Basque Country in Spain. She was born on July 4, 1969. Elena works as a head chef at the amazing Arzak restaurant. She shares this job with her father, Juan Mari Arzak. Their restaurant has three Michelin stars, which is a very high honor in cooking! In 2012, Elena was even named the best female chef in the world.
Contents
Elena's Journey to Becoming a Chef
Elena started cooking very young! She began working at her family's restaurant, Arzak, when she was just 11 years old. This made her the fourth generation of her family to work there. During her summer school holidays, she would work for two hours each day. At that time, her grandmother was the head chef. Later, her father, Juan Mari Arzak, took over as head chef.
Training Around the World
After attending hotel school in Lucerne, Switzerland, Elena's father sent her to train at other famous restaurants. In 1989, she worked for six months at Le Gavroche in London, England. She trained under a famous chef named Albert Roux. She also trained alongside Michel Roux Jr., who was also learning at the time.
Elena continued her training at other top restaurants. She worked at La Maison Troisgros and Le Louis XV with chef Alain Ducasse. She also trained at Restaurant Pierre Gagnaire and even at elBulli back in Spain.
Leading the Family Restaurant
After all her training, Elena returned to her family's restaurant. She became a joint head chef with her father. In 2011, she visited London again for The Restaurant Show. She gave a cooking demonstration and helped open the show. Elena has said she doesn't plan to open another restaurant right now, but she might in the future!
In June 2020, Elena joined other important people. These included chefs, architects, and leaders from around the world. They signed an appeal to support the idea of a "purple economy." This idea focuses on how culture and creativity can help the economy grow.
Awards and Recognition
In 2011, Elena was nominated for the Veuve Clicquot World's Best Female Chef award. Another chef, Anne-Sophie Pic, won that year. However, Elena Arzak won the award in 2012, which was a huge achievement!
Elena's Family Life
Elena has two children, a daughter named Nora and a son named Mateo. She is also very good at languages and can speak four different ones, including German.
See also
In Spanish: Elena Arzak para niños
