Named one of TIME magazine’s “100 Most Influential People” in both 2012 and 2018, and awarded “Outstanding Chef” and “Humanitarian of the Year” by the James Beard Foundation, José Andrés is an internationally-recognized culinary innovator, New York Times bestselling author, educator, television personality, humanitarian, and chef/owner of ThinkFoodGroup (TFG).
TFG is the team responsible for renowned dining concepts in Washington, DC, Las Vegas, Los Angeles, Mexico, Miami, and Puerto Rico. Andrés’ ThinkFoodGroup also oversees his creative and cultural endeavors, such as cookbooks, television programming, José Andrés product line, project development, and education.
After traveling to post-earthquake Haiti in 2010, Andrés launched World Central Kitchen (WCK), a non-profit which provides smart solutions to end hunger and poverty by using the power of food to empower communities and strengthen economies. Notably, his team served over 3.6 million meals to the people of Puerto Rico following Hurricane Maria. Through his leadership of WCK, José Andrés was named Culinary Ambassador of the Global Alliance for Clean Cookstoves.
I realized very early the power of food to evoke memory, to bring people together, to transport you to other places, and I wanted to be a part of that.
José Andrés
A pioneer of Spanish tapas in the United States, he is also known for his groundbreaking avant-garde cuisine and his award-winning group of more than 30 restaurants located throughout the country and beyond, ranging in a variety of culinary experiences from a food truck to his multi-location vegetable-focused fast casual Beefsteak, to world-class tasting menus like minibar by José Andrés and Somni, both of which have received two Michelin stars.
He is Chairman Emeritus for DC Central Kitchen, an organization where he has been involved for the past 20 years, which combats hunger and creates opportunities with culinary training .
A champion for the role of chefs in the debate on food policy, Andrés is called upon regularly to speak on a variety of issues revolving around hunger, food security, childhood nutrition education, clean cookstoves, international development, and agriculture.
Profiled on 60 Minutes, Andrés also regularly appears on Today and Top Chef, as well as NPR’s The Splendid Table and All Things Considered. Andrés also teaches “Science and Cooking” at Harvard University, as well as “The Sustainable Plate” at George Washington University, and has written widely read editorials for The Washington Post, National Geographic, and Eater on issues surrounding immigration, food policy, and international development.
He has authored several bestselling books including Vegetables Unleashed: A Cookbook and We Fed an Island: The True Story of Rebuilding Puerto Rico, One Meal at a Time.
Andrés’ work has earned awards and distinctions including the 2017 Lifetime Achievement Award from the International Association of Culinary Professionals and the 2015 National Humanities Medal, one of twelve distinguished recipients of the award from the National Endowment for the Humanities. Andrés was also named EY Master Entrepreneur of the Year in Greater Washington for his leadership and impact on the global business community and was awarded the Congressional Hispanic Caucus Institute’s Chair’s Medallion Award.
As a naturalized citizen originally from Spain, Andrés has been a tireless advocate for immigration reform.