In the first of a series of special awards announced before the ceremony of The World’s 50 Best Restaurants, Janaína Torres from São Paulo, chef and co-owner of award-winning culinary initiatives including A Casa do Porco, has been named The World’s Best Female Chef 2024.
Activist, sommelier, and chef, Torres was named Latin America’s Best Female Chef as part of Latin America’s 50 Best Restaurants 2023 and is now recognized for her significant culinary contribution on a global scale. As chef and co-owner of the high-end restaurant A Casa do Porco in São Paulo, the casual bar Bar da Dona Onça, the hot dog kiosk Hot Pork, the lunch and sandwich shop Merenda da Cidade, and the ice cream shop Sorveteria do Centro, Torres has become an instrumental 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 cooks and improve nutrition for 1.8 million children in just four years. During the pandemic, the chef engaged her community by mobilizing thousands of Brazilian chefs and hospitality workers to urge the government for vital financial support for the sector.
A Casa do Porco, the restaurant co-owned by Chef Torres, is famous for its creative nose-to-tail pork menu with no waste and ranked No. 12 on the list of The World’s 50 Best Restaurants 2023.
William Drew, Content Director of The World’s 50 Best Restaurants, says:
“It is a true privilege to announce that the incomparable Janaína Torres has been named The World’s Best Female Chef 2024. Her contribution to establishing Brazil as a leading force in the global culinary industry cannot be underestimated, and her philanthropic projects highlight a continued commitment to her community. This award is in recognition of her talent and deep commitment to driving positive change.”
Chef Torres says: “I am thrilled to have been named The World’s Best Female Chef 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 and for food, which I consider essential for a fairer future in my country and the world.”