Andoni Luis Aduriz (Donostia, 1971)

Andoni Luis Aduriz
Andoni Luis Aduriz (San Sebastián, 1971)
Andoni Luis Aduriz is undoubtedly one of the most influential chefs of our times. Throughout his
career, he has prioritized both culinary evolution and an interdisciplinary approach. This has allowed him
to cross the established borders, and become a rebel in the kitchen.
His membership of the Basque Culinary Center, the Ibermatica Innovation Institute and the
Innobasque Management Board gives weight to Aduriz’s multidisciplinary attitude, enabling the union
between innovation in cuisine and many other related sectors. If these links do not already exist, it is not a
problem. Andoni has managed to build bridges between worlds with no apparent relation. His
participation in theatrical activities with the la Fura dels Baus group and also the promotion of the
documentary film “Mugaritz BSO” are evidence of his versatility as a creator and reveals his courageous
attitude when challenging pre-established limits. Aduriz’s aim is, undoubtedly, to seduce us with an
experience that encompasses all five senses.
Something like this does not happen overnight. Andoni Luis Aduriz was born in San Sebastian in 1971,
a city at the very heart of Basque gastronomy. He began his culinary studies, but after a not entirely
successful venture into the academic world, the young Andoni began to express himself by means of
tastes and textures. Subsequently, Andoni developed his appreciation for both new the Basque cuisine and
local produce. On finishing his studies, he went to Catalonia to work in El Bulli, home of one of the
worlds's most renowned chefs Ferran Adrià. This experience opened a world of possibilities to him.
In 1998, Aduriz embarked alone upon his most risky and satisfactory project: Mugaritz, which has been
recognized with 2 Michelin stars since 2006. Mugaritz has become synonymous with R+D and the word
“restaurant” has ceased to exist. As Aduriz himself acknowledges “It's something more”.
Mugaritz closes for four months a year, a window which is devoted almost exclusively to creativity. “It's
a place where we sometimes even serve meals…” The location, with the oak on the border, offers the
chef a canvas on which to unleash his creativity, as well as being a place surrounded by tradition and
local products. In Mugaritz, Aduriz has managed to achieve a balance between avant-garde and
traditional Basque cuisine. His refusal to conform has resulted in countless achievements: since 2006
Mugaritz has figured among the top ten in the list of Restaurant Magazine.
As part of his idea of socialization of the kitchen Andoni Luis Aduriz has given classes in the
University of Basque Country, Deusto University and Alain Ducasse training center in France as
well as in the school The Culinary Institute of America in United States, among others.
Regarding dissemination, the chef goes a step further. In addition to the above-mentioned courses,
Aduriz has also participated in scientific conferences, such as the Conference on Applied Cognitive
Otzazulueta baserria. Altura aldea 20 zk. 20100 Errenteria. Gipuzkoa. Tel 943 522 455 · info@mugaritz.com · www.mugaritz.com
Andoni Luis Aduriz
Psychology organised by the Basque Center on Cognition, Brain and Language, which was held in
2012 at the Kursaal. That same year, also at the Kursaal, Aduriz took part in the in Primary Care
Conference, attended by 200 managers. Also, outside the Basque Autonomous Community, the chef was
a speaker at the Faculty of Health Sciences, University of Alicante, and at the Congress of the
International Union of Biochemistry and Molecular Biology held in Seville (2012). All of his activity as a
trainer, always based on his experience, has made him a role model, a guide who has encouraged teams in
many different areas of operation.
The chef also acts as a consultant on projects such as the Abadia Retuerta LeDomaine (Valladolid), for
which Aduriz has been a consultant since 2012. In 2014 Abadia Retuerta LeDomaine gets its first
Michelin Star. Undoubtedly, Aduriz faces one of the biggest challenges of his career because of the
peculiar site chosen for his restaurant, located in a 12th century monastery.
Similarly, in April 2014, the chef will design the culinary range for Healthouse Las Dunas in Estepona
(Málaga). The group Kiluva (Naturhouse), owner of the resort, asked the chef to be the consultant for the
diet catering service at the highest level that the Healthouse will offer. Thus, with the aim of combining
elite and creative cuisine with a nutritious and dietetic food, Aduriz will design the menus for each season
for each treatment offered by the resort: slimming, anti-stress, anti-aging and detox, and he will also work
on the different proposals for specific programs to lose weight.
But to speak only about Andoni Luis Aduriz's professional side would be a significant mistake. His
human side is represented by his activities, always food related, of course. The chef promotes culinary
initiatives annually whose only aim is to raise money for organisations such as Asteamur, L'ataxie
Charlevoix-Saguenay Foundation, Starlight Children's Foundation Australia and many others.
The combination of the approach to new disciplines in focussing on cuisine and his tireless care regarding
the product have earned Andoni Luis Aduriz numerous awards since his professional career began:
-Premio Nacional de Gastronomía (2002).
-Euskadi de Gastronomía to the best cook accrding to the Academia Vasca de Gastronomía
(2003).
-"Chef's Choice Award", by the hand of his fellow chefs in the St. Pellegrino list (2006 and
2012).
-Premio Eckart Witzigmann (2012).
Andoni Luis Aduriz develops an intense publishing activity and is author and co-author of the following
books:
- La joven cocina vasca (1996). Hiria liburuak.
- El mercado en el plato (1998). Editorial Lur.
- Tabula Huevo (2000). Colección Tabula - Ixo editorial.
- Foie Gras (2002). Colección cuadernos mugaritz de gastronomía - Ixo editorial.
- Tabula Bacalao (2003). Montagud editores.
- Clorofilia (2004). Colección cuadernos mugaritz de gastronomía - Ixo editorial.
- Txikichef (2006). Hariadna editorial.
- Bestiarium Gastronomicae (2006). Colección cuadernos mugaritz de gastronomía - Ixo editorial.
- Tabula 35 mm (2007). Colección Tabula - Ixo editorial.
- Diccionario Botánico para Cocineros (2007). Ixo editorial.
- La botánica del deseo (2008). Prologue to the Spanish edition of Michael Pollan’s book. Ixo publishers.
- Las primeras palabras de la cocina (2009). Colección cuadernos mugaritz de gastronomía - Ixo
editorial.
Otzazulueta baserria. Altura aldea 20 zk. 20100 Errenteria. Gipuzkoa. Tel 943 522 455 · info@mugaritz.com · www.mugaritz.com
Andoni Luis Aduriz
- Los Bajos de la Alta Cocina (2009). Ixo editorial.
- El Dilema del Omnívoro (2011). Prologue to the Spanish edition of Michael Pollan’s book. Ixo editorial.
- El Gourmet Extraterrestre (2011). Editorial Planeta.
- Larousse Gastronomique (2011). Edition revised and prefaced by A. Luis Aduriz. Larousse Publishers.
- Innovación abierta y alta cocina (2011). Ediciones Pirámide
- Mugaritz - A Natural Science of Cooking (2012). Phaidon Press
- Cocinar, comer, convivir (2012). Ediciones Destino.
- Las recetas de mi casa (2013). Ediciones Destino
- Cocinar para vivir (2015). Ediciones Destino.
Otzazulueta baserria. Altura aldea 20 zk. 20100 Errenteria. Gipuzkoa. Tel 943 522 455 · info@mugaritz.com · www.mugaritz.com