“I've been a cook all my life, but I am still learning to be a good chef. I'm always learning new techniques and improving beyond my own knowledge because there is always something new to learn and new horizons to discover.”

Spanish and American chef, restaurateur, and humanitarian

José Ramón Andrés Puerta is a Spanish and American chef, restaurateur, and humanitarian. Born in Spain, he moved to the United States in the early 1990s and built a career that spans food, business, and public service. He has opened restaurants in several American cities and has received awards for both his cooking and his humanitarian work, including several James Beard Awards. He is also a professor and founded the Global Food Institute at George Washington University.