José Andrés, the internationally recognized chef and restaurateur is adding one more honor to his CV: ambassador.
This February, Andrés accepted the award of “Honorary Ambassador of the Spanish Brand” from the Forum of Renowned Spanish Brands (FMRE), a group of Spanish organizations committed to promoting the Spanish culture, Spanish products, and Spanish brands.
Every two years, FMRE recognizes individuals and institutions that have furthered the organization’s cause across seven categories: business, culture and communications, sports, science and innovations, social action, and institutional relations, and business with exceptional character.
And this year, the FMRE expanded the categories to include gastronomy and tourism. The James Beard Award winning Andrés has long been recognized as a culinary innovator and is credited with introducing Americans to classic and modern Spanish cooking.
Along with his partner, Rob Wilder, Andrés is owner of eight restaurants, including Jaleo, Zaytinya, Oyamel, and minibar by josé andrés, all in Washington, D.C., as well as é by José Andrés at The Cosmopolitan of Las Vegas. His cookbooks include Made in Spain: Spanish Dishes for the American Kitchen and Tapas: A Taste of Spain in America. And in 2010, his native Spain awarded him the prestigious Order of Arts and Letters medallion in 2010, making him the first chef to receive this recognition.