LONDON — In the first of a series of special awards announced in advance of The World’s 50 Best Restaurants ceremony, São Paulo’s Janaína Torres, chef and co-owner of award-winning gastronomic 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 São Paulo fine-dining restaurant A Casa do Porco, casual Bar da Dona Onça, hot-dog kiosk Hot Pork, lunch and sandwich shop Merenda da Cidade and ice-cream shop Sorveteria do Centro, Torres has become an instrumental figure in the Brazilian city’s culinary scene.
Torres is also deeply involved in social-activism projects, having worked with São Paulo’s government to train school cooks to improve the nutrition of 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 pressure the government for vital financial support for the industry.
A Casa do Porco, the restaurant co-owned by Torres, is famous for its inventive, no-waste, nose-to-tail pork menu and placed No.12 in The World’s 50 Best Restaurants 2023 list.
“It’s a true privilege to announce that the incomparable Janaína Torres is named The World’s Best Female Chef 2024,” says William Drew, director of Content for The World’s 50 Best Restaurants. “Her contribution to establishing Brazil as a leading force in the global gastronomic industry cannot be underestimated, and her philanthropic projects highlight an ongoing commitment to her community. This award is in recognition of her talent and deep commitment to driving positive change.”
“I’m delighted 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,” says Torres. “I hope to inspire the next generation of female chefs and to continue to build a legacy for Brazilian gastronomy, alongside my community. To me, this award represents an important platform to bring visibility for education through and for food, which I consider essential for a fairer future in my country and around the world.”
