“My first love was going to be classical music or fine arts,” he says. “Culinary school was kind of a fallback and I didn’t think it was for me so I didn’t finish my course.” Stints as a music critic and web editor at Eat Out, a restaurant guide, followed.
“And that’s where I realized I missed, I felt like I was on the wrong side of the industry,” he said. “Wolfgat is the result of that: It’s a fine-tuned, slightly more considered next project for us.”
The accolade was announced on Monday night at the inaugural World Restaurant Awards in Paris. The judging panel included some of the biggest names in the culinary world, including chefs Elena Arzak (Arzak), Massimo Bottura (Osteria Francescana); David Chang (Momofuku); Hélène Darroze (Hélène Darroze) Daniel Humm (Eleven Madison Park); Rene Redzepi (Noma); and Clare Smyth (Core). I am one of several journalists on the panel but wasn’t involved in the selection of Wolfgat.
The awards, owned by IMG, the multinational entertainment concern behind everything from Fashion Week to the Frieze Art Fair.
Other winners included Vespertine, Los Angeles (Atmosphere); La Mère Brazier, Lyon (Enduring Classic); Mugaritz, San Sebastian (Forward Drinking) and Le Clarence, Paris (Original Thinking.)
The selection of Wolfgat was made by a smaller group of 12, led by the awards’ creative director, Joe Warwick.
“Wolfgat is sustainable and it’s in Africa, which is not a continent that gets a great amount of attention for its food and its restaurants,” he said. “It was the perfect restaurant for us.”
This article was provided by Bloomberg News.