Chef José Andrés has received on hefty sized honor for all that he has done in and out of the culinary world.
On Thursday, November 7, the Spanish chef (who is a proud American citizen) was awarded with the Julia Child Award by The Julia Child Foundation for Gastronomy and the Culinary Arts at their fifth annual gala held at the Smithsonian’s National History Museum (say that fast five times).
Chef Andrés was selected as the 2019 recipient for his incredibly profound impact on the way that the United States thinks about food and consumes it.
Andrés has been long recognized by his peers for his style of cooking, being a well-regarded restauranteur and his work with the World Central Kitchen (which he founded).
Each winner of the award receives a $50,000 grant that goes to a food-related cause of their choosing — chef Andrés is putting it towards the World Central Kitchen, which has been providing relief efforts in the Bahamas after the recent hurricanes that hit the area.
During his acceptance speech, the chef shared, “I cannot say that I am receiving this award as Jose Andres, but I receive this award on behalf of those so others, people that sometimes give voice to the voiceless.”
He continued, “We the people taking care of each other, supporting each other. We the people making sure that we will never be lost in darkness. We remember this rewards about the true meaning of what America stands for.”