Leonor Espinosa

Leonor Espinosa has become one of the most important personalities in Colombia through her hard and consistent work not only celebrating and promoting local Colombian products and flavors, but also highlighting the value of the country’s biodiversity and the social aspects of gastronomy. Her proposal aims to vindicate local ingredients and traditions from Colombia and each dish as part of a broader gastronomic narrative based on sustainability, offering an experience focused on the country’s varied ecosystems exploring the ways in which new species can be used for culinary purposes. Combining extensive scientific research with culinary innovation, she is a self-taught chef who continues to seek new insights as well as to educate others through her Foundation Funleo, a non-profit organization dedicated to generating social welfare in rural ethnic communities that led her to deserve the Basque Culinary World Prize in 2017. She was named the Best Female Chef in the World by The World’s 50 Best Restaurants in 2022 and her restaurant LEO forthe past two years has featured on this prestigious list, ranking No. 43 in its latest 2023 edition.