In the first of a series of special awards announced ahead of the World’s 50 Best Restaurants ceremony, Janaína Torres from São Paulo, chef and co-owner of award-winning culinary initiatives including A Casa do Porco, has been named the Best Female Chef in the World 2024.
Activist, sommelier, and chef, Torres was named the Best Female Chef in Latin America as part of the 50 Best Restaurants in Latin America 2023 and is now recognized for her significant culinary contribution on a global scale. As chef and co-owner of the fine dining restaurant A Casa do Porco in São Paulo, the casual Bar da Dona Onça, the Hot Pork hot dog kiosk, the Merenda da Cidade snack bar, and the Sorveteria do Centro ice cream shop, Torres has become a key figure in the culinary scene of the Brazilian city.
Torres is also deeply involved in social activism projects, having worked with the São Paulo government to train school lunch workers to improve the nutrition of 1.8 million children in just four years. During the pandemic, the chef engaged her community, mobilizing thousands of Brazilian chefs and hospitality workers to urge the government for vital financial support for the industry.
A Casa do Porco, the restaurant co-owned with Chef Torres, is famous for its innovative and waste-free pork menu, from nose to tail, and ranked 12th on the 2023 World’s 50 Best Restaurants list.
William Drew, Director of Content for the World’s 50 Best Restaurants, says:
“It is a true privilege to announce that the incomparable Janaína Torres has been named the Best Female Chef in the World in 2024. Her contribution to establishing Brazil as a leading force in the global culinary industry cannot be underestimated, and her philanthropic projects highlight her ongoing commitment to her community. This award is a recognition of her talent and deep commitment to promoting positive change.”
Chef Torres states: “I am very happy to have been named the Best Female Chef in the World in 2024 and to join the incredible list of those who have been awarded before me. I hope to inspire the next generation of female chefs and continue to build a legacy for Brazilian cuisine alongside my community. For me, this award represents an important platform to bring visibility to education through food, which I consider essential for a fairer future in my country and the world.”