Andoni Luis Aduriz is undoubtedly one of the most influential chefs of our times. Throughout his career, he has prioritized both culinary evolution and an interdisciplinary approach. This has allowed him to cross the established borders, and become a rebel in the kitchen.
Aduriz‘ multidisciplnary approach embraces the union between innovation in the kitchen and the most diverse sectors. This is evident through his patronage of the Basque Culinary Center and membership in the Tufts Nutrition Council from the Tufts University, a group of international leaders from diverse backgrounds who share a passion for nutrition and health. Andoni builds bridges between apparently unrelated worlds, in so doing he enhances his own discipline. This can be witnessed in his collaboration with the marine and alimentary research center AZTI and the Imagineering Institute, a multi-disciplinary internet and digital media research & development center. His versatility and creativity always raging the predefined limits open windows to many new worlds. This pioneering attitude gives rise to theater performances with La Fura dels Baus and to the promotion of diverse documentaries such as Mugaritz BSO and OFF-ROAD. Aduriz aims to seduce us with a multisensory experience.
Something like this does not happen overnight. Andoni Luis Aduriz was born in San Sebastian in 1971, a city at the very heart of Basque gastronomy. He began his culinary studies, but after a not entirely successful venture into the academic world, the young Andoni began to express himself by means of tastes and textures. Subsequently, Andoni developed his appreciation for both new the Basque cuisine and local produce. On finishing his studies, he went to Catalonia to work in El Bulli, home of one of theworlds’s most renowned chefs Ferran Adrià. This experience opened a world of possibilities to him.
In 1998, Aduriz embarked alone upon his most risky and satisfactory project: Mugaritz, which has been recognized with 2 Michelin stars since 2006. Mugaritz has become synonymous with R+D and the word “restaurant” has ceased to exist. As Aduriz himself acknowledges “It’s something more”.
Mugaritz closes for four months a year, a window which is devoted almost exclusively to creativity. “It’s a place where we sometimes even serve meals…” The location, with the oak on the border, offers the chef a canvas on which to unleash his creativity, as well as being a place surrounded by tradition and local products. In Mugaritz, Aduriz has managed to achieve a balance between avant-garde and traditional Basque cuisine. His refusal to conform has resulted in countless achievements: since 2006 Mugaritz has figured among the top ten in the list of Restaurant Magazine.
As part of his idea of socialization of the kitchen Andoni Luis Aduriz has given classes in Harvard Univeristy, the Massachusetts Institute of Technology, the University of Basque Country, DeustoUniversity and Alain Ducasse training center in France as well as in the school The Culinary Institute of America in United States, among others.
Regarding dissemination, the chef goes a step further. In addition to the above-mentioned courses, Aduriz has also participated in scientific conferences, such as the Conference on Applied Cognitive Andoni Luis AdurizPsychology organised by the Basque Center on Cognition, Brain and Language or in the Primary CareConference. Also, outside the Basque Autonomous Community, the chef was a speaker at the Faculty of Health Sciences, University of Alicante, the Congress of the International Union of Biochemistry and Molecular Biology and at El futuro X venir, a series of conferences organized by Fundación Telefónica.All of his activity as a trainer, always based on his experience, has made him a role model, a guide who has encouraged teams in many different areas of operation.
The chef also acts as a consultant on projects such as the Abadia Retuerta LeDomaine (Valladolid), for which Aduriz has been a consultant since 2012. In 2014 Abadia Retuerta LeDomaine gets its first Michelin Star. Undoubtedly, Aduriz faces one of the biggest challenges of his career because of thepeculiar site chosen for his restaurant, located in a 12th century monastery.
Similarly, in April 2014, the chef will design the culinary range for Healthouse Las Dunas in Estepona (Málaga). The group Kiluva (Naturhouse), owner of the resort, asked the chef to be the consultant for the diet catering service at the highest level that the Healthouse will offer. Thus, with the aim of combining elite and creative cuisine with a nutritious and dietetic food, Aduriz will design the menus for each season for each treatment offered by the resort: slimming, anti-stress, anti-aging and detox, and he will also work on the different proposals for specific programs to lose weight.
But to speak only about Andoni Luis Aduriz’s professional side would be a significant mistake. His human side is represented by his activities, always food related, of course. The chef promotes culinary initiatives annually whose only aim is to raise money for organisations such as Asteamur, L’ataxie Charlevoix-Saguenay Foundation, Starlight Children’s Foundation Australia and many others.
Describe your culinary philosophy in 5 words…
Synthesis, poetry, impressible, natural, honest.
How did you feel when you were awarded your first Michelin star?
I really felt very happy because it was held on a mountain of efforts of many people.
What is your greatest inspiration?
The human condition. I am very interested in stimulate, provoke,…
What three things would you take to a desert island?
A grill, a fishing rod and container of wine.
- 2 Michelin stars
- Chef’s Choice Award, 2012 |The World’s 50 Best Restaurants
- #6 | The World’s 50 Best Restaurants
- Premio Eckart Witzigmann (2012)
Otzazulueta Baserria, Altura Aldea 20
20100 Errenteria, Gipuzkoa
+34 943 52 24 55