José Andrés is a Spanish-American chef, restaurateur, and philanthropist. Most notably, he is the founder of World Central Kitchen, a nonprofit that “uses the power of food to heal communities and strengthen economies in times of crisis and beyond.”
Andrés began his culinary career in Spain before moving to the United States in the 1990s. He quickly established himself as a leading figure in the American culinary scene, opening several successful restaurants. He continued to gain notoriety as he released a book, starred in a cooking show, taught at Harvard and George Washington University, and… started more restaurants.
In the aftermath of the 2010 earthquake in Haiti, Andrés founded World Central Kitchen, which has since provided millions of meals to those affected by natural, environmental, and community crises.
The organization equips cooks to quickly mobilize in response to disasters, ensuring that people have food to eat. WCK takes a unique approach to its work — empowering local cooks to use local food to make local recipes, whenever possible.
(You can learn more about World Central Kitchen at WCK.org.)
Andrés has been honored with numerous awards for his humanitarian efforts, including the Humanitarian of the Year Award, from the James Beard Foundation; the Courage and Civility Award, given by Jeff Bezos; the National Humanities Medal, given by President Barack Obama; and the Ukrainian Order of Merit, given by President Volodymyr Zelenskyy.
Chef José Andrés’ life has been spent thoughtfully communicating about food, boldly responding to crises around the world, standing up for human rights, and encouraging others to make a meaningful difference in the world. We’ve collected his most powerful quotes all in one place:
The Best Chef José Andrés Quotes
Famous Inspiring Quotes
“We all are Citizens of the World. What’s good for you, must be good for all. If you are lost, share a plate of food with a stranger... you will find who you are.”
— Chef José Andrés
“Simple ingredients, treated with respect... put them together and you will always have a great dish.”
— Chef José Andrés
“The business of feeding people is the most amazing business in the world.”
— Chef José Andrés
“I realized very early the power of food to evoke memory, to bring people together, to transport you to other places, and I wanted to be a part of that.”
— Chef José Andrés
“I’ve been a cook all my life, but I am still learning to be a good chef. I'm always learning new techniques and improving beyond my own knowledge because there is always something new to learn and new horizons to èiscover.”
— Chef José Andrés
“I cook to bring hope, to solve problems, to feed people in emergencies, to bring families together. I cook every day to empower forgotten citizens, to give them training, and respect. I cook to build longer tables… to lift people’s spirits up.”
— Chef José Andrés
→ Read more quotes about activism from activists
Quotes About Food
“I believe the future is vegetables and fruits. They are so much more sexier than a piece of chicken.”
— Chef José Andrés
“Food is national security. Food is craft. Food is everything, when you think about it.”
— Chef José Andrés
“Simple ingredients prepared in a simple way — that’s the best way to take your everyday cooking to a higher level.”
— Chef José Andrés
→ Read more quotes about hunger and feeding the poor
Quotes About Making a Difference & World Central Kitchen
“Food, in essence, gives you hope that maybe tomorrow will be better. That’s why a plate of food is so important in those moments.”
— Chef José Andrés, on the meals he cooked for victims of natural disasters in Haiti and Puerto Rico
“The only way to have a better world and end poverty is by closing the gap between the top and the bottom.”
— Chef José Andrés
“The right use of food can end hunger.”
— Chef José Andrés
→ Read more quotes about hope
→ Read more quotes about making a difference
About Being a Chef
“I always say that I don’t believe I’m a chef. I try to be a storyteller.”
— Chef José Andrés
“I believe no chef becomes what he becomes without having many people influence him.”
— Chef José Andrés
More Quotes
“I’m always looking to the future and what will next be on the horizon.”
— Chef José Andrés
“All of the food farmers grow, restaurants cook, and people eat, it starts with hardworking farmworkers in the fields…many of them immigrants. Ensuring America’s food security should be bipartisan. Congress must protect farmworkers with legal status!”
— Chef José Andrés
“I started culinary school at a very young age, and really I wanted to be out working, cooking, more than I wanted to be in a classroom. You could say I wasn’t a very good student — I wanted to be a student of life and experience.”
— Chef José Andrés
“I believe in tradition and innovation, authenticity and passion.”
— Chef José Andrés
“As legal residents, immigrants would contribute more in taxes, spend more at our businesses, start companies of their own and create more jobs. Immigration is not a problem for us to solve but an opportunity for America to seize.”
— Chef José Andrés
“The modernity of yesterday is the tradition of today, and the modernity of today will be tradition tomorrow.”
— Chef José Andrés
