Leonor Espinosa from Bogotá was listed as the best female chef in the world for two years in the "World's 50 Best Restaurants" list (for the Falstaff local inspection); now she has been ousted from the top spot by the Mexican Elena Reygadas.

Own scholarship

In 2014 Reygadas was named "Latin America's Best Female Chef" and has been a leading figure in Mexican gastronomy ever since. A passionate advocate of Mexican biodiversity and sustainable production, she even recently launched a scholarship programme in Mexico aimed at women. The aim: to promote greater gender parity in the kitchen and to strengthen equal opportunities and the leadership role of Mexican women in the world of gastronomy. The "Beca Elena Reygadas" scholarship is open to Mexican female students who have been accepted into a culinary school.

Regional cuisine

"It is an honour to present 'The World's Best Female Chef' award this year to Elena Reygadas, a chef who is paving the way for future generations of female leaders in Mexico and beyond.

Ms. Reygadas is promoting the future of Mexican gastronomy with her commitment to traditional dishes and indigenous biodiversity," comments William Drew, Director of Content for "The World's 50 Best Restaurants".

Reygadas trained as a chef at the French Culinary Institute in New York. She then cooked at the Michelin-starred restaurant "Locatelli" and returned to Mexico with a wealth of experience. In 2010 the mother of two opened her restaurant "Rosetta".