Elena Arzak

Elena Arzak
Born	(1969-07-04) July 4, 1969 San Sebastián, Basque Country, Spain
Occupation	Chef
Known for	Co-head chef of Arzak, three Michelin-starred restaurant; World's Best Female Chef 2012

Elena Arzak (born 4 July 1969) is a renowned Basque chef who co-leads the prestigious three Michelin-starred restaurant Arzak alongside her father, Juan Mari Arzak. In 2012, she earned the title of World's Best Female Chef.

Biography

Elena's culinary journey began at the age of 11 when she started working at her family's establishment, Arzak, becoming the fourth generation involved in its operation. At that time, her grandmother was the head chef, succeeded later by her father, Juan Mari Arzak.

Following her education at a hospitality school in Lucerne, Switzerland, Elena was sent overseas by her father to gain further experience. Her training included six months at London's Le Gavroche under Albert Roux, where she worked alongside Michel Roux Jr. She also honed her skills at La Maison Troisgros, Le Louis XV with Alain Ducasse, and Restaurant Pierre Gagnaire, before returning to Spain to work at the iconic elBulli.

Elena now shares the role of head chef with her father at Arzak. In 2011, she participated in The Restaurant Show held in London, where she led culinary demonstrations and officially inaugurated the event. While she has currently dismissed plans to open a second restaurant, she remains open to the idea in the future.

In June 2020, Elena joined a diverse group of chefs, architects, Nobel laureates in Economics, and global leaders in endorsing an appeal advocating for the purple economy (“Towards a cultural renaissance of the economy”), which was featured in prominent publications such as Corriere della Sera, El País, and Le Monde.

Awards

In 2011, Elena was shortlisted for Restaurant's Veuve Clicquot award recognizing the World's Best Female Chef; however, that year's honor went to Anne-Sophie Pic. The following year, in 2012, Elena herself received this distinguished award.

Personal life

She is a mother to two children named Nora and Mateo. Elena is proficient in four languages, including German.