Daniel Humm named outstanding chef by the James Beard Foundation

Daniel Humm, executive chef and co-owner of the three-Michelin-starred Eleven Madison Park in New York, has been named the most outstanding chef in the USA in the country's coveted James Beard Awards.

Swiss-born Humm, who won the James Beard award for best chef in New York City in 2010, has been at the helm of Eleven Madison since 2006 after he was recruited to run the kitchen by restaurateur Danny Meyer.

He began his culinary training at the age of 14 as an apprentice and gained his first Michelin star at the age of 24 at Gasthaus zum Gupf in the Swiss Alps. In 2003, Humm became executive chef at Campton Place in San Francisco before moving to New York three years later to head up Eleven Madison Park.

The restaurant was awarded Michelin's top accolade last autumn, jumping from one to three stars, after which Humm and business partner Will Guidara took over the business. Humm's cooking combines classic flavour combinations with a mix of classic and modern techniques.

Meanwhile Boulevard in San Francisco picked up the James Beard Foundation's award for restaurant of the year, with Christina Tosi of David Chang's Momofuku Milk Bar in New York being named rising star chef of the year.

Celebrity chef Wolfgang Puck, who last year opened his first European venture, Cut at the Dorchester Collection's 45 Park Lane in London, won the lifetime achievement award.

Michelin awards two new three-stars and two new two-stars in New York >>

Spanish chef José Andrés wins top James Beard award >>

By Kerstin Kühn

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