Rasmus Munk Crowned World’s Best Chef at The Best Chef Awards 2025

"To receive this award is truly humbling, and I am very proud that so many people in the restaurant industry have voted for me. But this is not only my award – it is a tribute to the entire Alchemist team, and their dedication to creating the best possible experience for our guests every night,” said Rasmus Munk after the ceremony in Milan, Italy.

The Best Chef Awards was founded in 2015, and the first list was launched in 2017. To date, only three chefs have managed to snag the number one spot on the list more than once: Juan Roca of El Celler de Can Roca (2017 and 2018), Dabiz Munoz of DiverXO (2021, 2022, and 2023) and now Rasmus Munk of Alchemist (2024 and 2025).

The list awards chefs who demonstrate creativity, innovation, and excellence. This year, the jury has been increased to 972 voters on six continents, comprising 572 chefs and 400 professionals from various sectors including food journalists and gastronomy experts.

“Winning for the second year in a row is proof of Rasmus Munk’s extraordinary vision. With Alchemist, he continues to push the boundaries of creativity and science, opening new dialogues that reach far beyond the kitchen. What makes Rasmus truly remarkable is the way he balances this pioneering spirit with humility, no ego, just a relentless drive to inspire and create change. For us, he perfectly represents what it means to be The Best”, said Cristian Gadau, Co-founder and CEO of The Best Chef Awards, after the ceremony.

Accepting the award on stage, Munk highlighted the power of the global chef community to shape the future food industry.

“My hope is to inspire young chefs to move in a more holistic direction, showing them that gastronomy can be more than a craft, and that communication through food can be a meaningful artistic language. Food has the power to spark conversations, raise questions, and inspire change. I’m truly honored to be listed alongside so many brilliant chefs, and I believe we all can have a role in shaping the future of food,” he said after the ceremony.

Munk himself is engaged in several projects, extending far beyond the kitchen. The latest news is that his food innovation centre Spora will play a central role in the global ‘Acetate to Food’ project. In a groundbreaking consortium, funded with €21.7 million by the Novo Nordisk Foundation and the Gates Foundation, research institutions and private companies are working together to turn one of our biggest climate liabilities – CO₂ – into protein, and subsequently nutritious foods for the future with the potential to feed more than a billion people per year.