Chef Xanty Elías has been named as the recipient of the Basque World Culinary Award, an award dedicated to chefs who have created positive change through gastronomy. The Spanish chef was awarded for his work on teaching healthy eating in schools in Spain, where 40 percent of children are overweight or obese.

Elias was picked for his work tackling childhood obesity in schools in the southern Spain, where has the second highest obesity rate in Europe. “I am happy and very grateful to BCWP. It is a wonder to show that gastronomy and chefs can evolve society towards a better future. Allowing children to make informed decisions about the food they eat while they are still young is their basis for a healthier and more sustainable future,” Elias said. Joan Roca was the head of the jury of the Basque Culinary World Prize, which was held for the sixth time this year. “Eating well is not about money, but about knowledge,” Elias says.

Elías’ former restaurant, Acánthum, became the first restaurant in the Andalusian state of Huelva to earn a Michelin star. Finca Alfoliz, a restaurant focused entirely on sustainability, will soon open its doors in Aljaraque. In addition to his restaurants, Elías has participated in many social projects for the benefit of Huelva, including the launch of the Fundación Prenauta in 2018. The ‘Los Niños se Comen El Future’ (where children are the future) initiative aims to teach students how to cook traditional Andalusian recipes, how to eat healthy, and how to apply academic subjects such as math and chemistry to cooking.