World Restaurant Awards: Tiny beach eatery Wolfgat triumphs at inaugural ceremony
The awards aim to lessen gender imbalance in the culinary industry
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Your support makes all the difference.It may be one of the greatest honours to earn a Michelin star, but chefs now have something else to strive for - as the new World Restaurant Awards are recognising diversity.
The winners of the newest restaurant awards were announced Monday in Paris - with the award recipients showcasing talented chefs and restaurants from 10 countries across four continents.
What makes these awards different than the numerous other culinary awards is the dedication to awarding worthy chefs of both genders in an effort to lessen gender inequality in the culinary world.
And, rather than focusing on fine dining, with a primary focus on male recipients, these awards aimed to celebrate the more “unique” aspects of the industry - with categories such as "Original Thinking,” “Off-Map Destination” and “Tattoo-Free Chef”.
According to creative director Joe Warwick, who spoke to Bloomberg: “We spend way too much time talking about the same kind of restaurants and we’d like to try and change that.”
To choose the recipients of the awards, a panel of 100 gender-balanced judges comprised of journalists, influencers and culinary professionals from 37 different countries was enlisted, according to CNN.
As for the winners, “Instagram Account of the Year” was won by French chef Alain Passard and “Red-Wine Serving Restaurant” was awarded to Noble Rot.
Most notably, the winner of “Restaurant of the Year” was awarded to Wolfgat in Paternoster, South Africa - a restaurant located in a 130-year-old cottage serving a seven-course tasting menu.
According to chef Kobus van der Merwe, winning was an “amazing honour”.
Discussing his team of six, the chef told CNN: "There's no kitchen hierarchy so it's all about collaboration and learning from one another. I'm incredibly proud of them. They don't come from any formal food background, so this achievement is all the more amazing."
The full list of winners is below.
Big Plates:
Original Thinking: Le Clarence, France
Off-Map Destination: Wolfgat, South Africa
No Reservations Required: Mocotó, Brazil
House Special: Lido 84 (Cacio e Pepe), Italy
Forward Drinking: Mugaritz, Spain
Event of the Year: Refugee Food Festival
Ethical Thinking: Refettorio (Food for Soul)
Collaboration of the Year: Paradiso X Gortnanain farm, Ireland
Atmosphere: Vespertine, USA
Enduring Classic: La Mère Brazier, France
Arrival of the Year: Inua, Japan
Restaurant of the Year Wolfgat, South Africa
Small Plates:
Tweezer-Free Kitchen: Bo Lan, Thailand
Trolley of the Year: Ballymaloe House, Ireland
Tattoo-Free Chef: Alain Ducasse, France
Instagram Account: Alain Passard, France
Long-Form Journalism: Lisa Abend
Red-Wine Serving Restaurant: Noble Rot, UK
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