2008 Universal Basque Award

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Promoting the Basque Country

Basque chef Juan Mari Arzak wins 2008 Universal Basque Award

07/09/2008

The jury valued Arzak's work "adapting gastronomy, one of the most important traditions of the Basque Country, to the new times and making of it one of the most innovative of the world".

Basque chef Juan Mari Arzak, owner of a three star restaurant and one of the most famous chefs in the Basque Country, won on Wednesday the 2008 Universal Basque Award.

Basque Government's General Secretary for Foreign Action Iñaki Agirre, announcing the prize together with the spokesman for the responsible Juan Cid Basque savings bank Caja Laboral-Euskadiko Kutxa, said Arzak was chosen in between sixteen candidates for being able to "make the Basque Country shine without overshadowing anyone".

The jury valued Arzak's work "adapting gastronomy, one of the most important traditions of the Basque Country, to the new times and making of it one of the most innovative of the world".

The Universal Basque Award, organized by the General Secretariat for Foreign Action and Basque savings bank Caja Laboral-Euskadiko Kutxa, is a recognition of the personal and professional careers of individuals, associations or entities whose activities have had a bearing on promoting the Basque Country abroad.

The Bilbao Guggenheim Museum won last year the award. Since the award was created in 1996 the recipients have included Orfeón Donostiarra, Ainhoa Arteta, Martin Ugalde, Jorge Oteiza, Xabier de Irala, Joane Somarriba, Pedro Miguel Etxenike, Monseñor Laboa and Pablo Mandazen, more commonly known as “Brother Ginés.”

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