Bethesda's José Andrés Wins 2018 James Beard Humanitarian Award

WASHINGTON, D.C. — Bethesda chef and restauranteur José Andrés was named the 2018 James Beard Humanitarian Wednesday night, recognizing his efforts to feed millions of people in Puerto Rico after Hurricane Maria. Andres, along with an army of volunteers, have taken food around the island since the September storm left the American territory without power or running water.

Andrés, the owner of ThinkFoodGroup and high-end restaurants in the area like Jaleo and his flagship "minibar," was chosen as the James Beard Foundation announces this year's theme, "RISE," which celebrates the community of chefs and industry leaders who "rise to the occasion" of feeding those in need or supporting their local communities, according to a statement.

Andres and his network of chefs have fed over 3.2 million meals to date in Puerto Rico. His charity says that they continue to serve 5,000 to 10,000 meals per day through kitchens to municipalities that are in dire need, including Morovis, where 80 percent of residents still lack electricity.

"Andrés is a committed advocate of food and hunger issues and is known for championing the role of chefs in the national debate on food policy," the statement reads. "In 2012, Andrés formed World Central Kitchen, a non-profit that provides smart solutions to hunger and poverty by using the power of food to empower communities and strengthen economies. Together with World Central Kitchen and #ChefsforPuertoRico, Andrés served over 3.3 million meals in Puerto Rico following the devastation of Hurricane Maria in 2017."

See Related:

• Chef Jose Andres Feeds 3 Million Irma Survivors In Puerto Rico
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Andrés and his team cooked huge portions of food and used food trucks to disperse it in in parts of Puerto Rico, which is still struggling after the devastating hurricane. Andres, through his charity World Central Kitchen, and with the help of chefs went from a single kitchen operating out of Jose Enrique's restaurant in Santurce into a coordinated effort reaching thousands of families across the island, the charity says.

“José’s work in Puerto Rico and Haiti shows how chefs can use their expertise and unique skills to enact profound change on a global scale,” said Mitchell Davis, the foundation’s executive vice president. “He has demonstrated how, at the most difficult times, hot-cooked meals provide more than nutrition, they provide dignity."

Andrés said in the statement that he was "honored" to receive the award, and that he would share it with his team.

According to Eater, Andrés is writing a book about his time in Puerto Rico called We Fed An Island: The True Story of Rebuilding Puerto Rico, One Meal at a Time. The book is scheduled to hit shelves on Sept. 11, 2018.

“We want to tell the inside story of what we saw on the ground — the good and the bad — of the crisis, the response, and how a plate of food does more than just fill you up. It fills you with hope,” Andrés said in a statement, Eater reports.

Jaleo, located at 7271 Woodmont Ave. in Bethesda, is run by Andrés, who immigrated from Spain and later became a U.S. citizen. He now lives in Bethesda and has 27 restaurants worldwide.

He famously dropped out of a deal with President Donald Trump to open a restaurant at Trump International Hotel in Washington in protest of the president's characterization of Mexicans as drug dealers and rapists; the duo are fighting it out in court.

The James Beard Foundation Awards Gala will be held in Chicago on Monday, May 7.