Elena Reygadas wins world’s best female chef title
Elena Reygadas, owner of Rosetta in Mexico City, as the best female chef in the world by The World’s 50 Best Restaurants 2023. Since being recognised as Latin America’s Best Female Chef in 2014, Reygadas has become one of the most important figures in Mexican gastronomy.
A passionate advocate of Mexican biodiversity and sustainable production, she has recently launched a scholarship programme for women in Mexico with the aim of promoting greater gender parity in kitchens. With the intention of defending equal opportunities and strengthening the leadership of Mexican women in the gastronomic world, the Elena Reygadas Scholarship is open to Mexican students who have been accepted into a cooking school.
Rosetta opened in 2010 in a beautiful mansion in Mexico City’s Roma neighbourhood and offers an elegant menu focused on revamping traditional Mexican dishes. With an offering that changes daily thanks to its focus on local, seasonal ingredients from small producers, it was ranked No.60 on The World’s 50 Best Restaurants 2022 list and No.37 on Latin America’s 50 Best Restaurants 2022 list.
In addition to the adjacent Rosetta bakery, Reygadas also runs the casual Mexican restaurant Lardo and the bistro Café Nin, both in the capital. His first cookbook was published in 2019 with a focus on Mexican ingredients.
William Drew, Content Director of The World’s 50 Best Restaurants, says: “It is an honour to award this year’s The World’s Best Female Chef to Elena Reygadas, a chef who is paving the way for future generations of female leaders in Mexico and beyond. Through her championing of traditional dishes and indigenous biodiversity, Reygadas is advancing the future of Mexican gastronomy”.
After receiving this distinction, Reygadas acknowledged feeling “very grateful and honoured to have been voted by people I admire so much. Cooking is a collective practice. That’s why, for me, this recognition belongs to my entire team and to the women chefs who have preserved the legacy of our cuisine for generations”.
The World’s Best Female Chef 2023 is the first of several awards to be unveiled ahead of The World’s 50 Best Restaurants 2023 awards ceremony in Valencia, which will be held at Les Arts Opera House on Tuesday evening, 20 June.
