José Andrés and the NGO World Central Kitchen 2021 Princess of Asturias Award for Concord

Statement by José Andrés, following the conferral of the 2021 Princess of Asturias Award for Concord

“This recognition is an honour. I believe that these awards are never for the person, they are awards to us, to the people. Who was going to tell me when I started cooking at the age of fifteen that I was going to feed not only a few through restaurants, but that I was going to have the opportunity to feed many people.

I have learned a lot since when, at the age of 23 years, I began to work in partnership with the first NGO, DC Central Kitchen, where I saw that a plate of food was the beginning of a better tomorrow. World Central Kitchen was created with the feeling of being on the side of the forgotten, the disadvantaged, the less privileged people, who, in hurricanes, in natural –sometimes political or social– disasters were the forgotten ones. Hunger is currently a real issue, made all the more worse by armed conflicts that have no reason to exist. We have finally realized that the future of nations will depend on how they feed themselves and how we feed people. A plate of food is the beginning to creating a better world; you have to believe in longer tables and lower walls.

This award is not only for the people, the women and men of World Central Kitchen, who, in the midst of the pandemic, have been providing more than sixty million meals while at the same time responding to emergencies caused by erupting volcanoes, fires and the like in places as remote as Beirut and St Vincent. The award goes not only to these people, who are incredible, who are my family, my colleagues, more than just my family, it also goes to all those people, especially women, who are the ones who feed humanity.”

José Andrés
León (Spain), 30th June 2021

Statement by Nate Mook, Chief Executive Officer of World Central Kitchen, following the granting of the 2021 Princess of Asturias Award for Concord

“We are truly humbled to receive this award from the Princess of Asturias Foundation, it is an honor to be recognized by an institution admired globally for its contributions to humanity. This award is for everyone all around the world who has been a part of WCK's work–from our teams on the ground, to the volunteers that serve in our kitchens, to the communities everywhere who are working to make sure their neighbors have a meal in difficult times. This recognition strengthens us for the future – we know that disasters are always around the corner, but we also know the power of food, that a hot meal brings not only nourishment to those in need, but also dignity, humanity, and hope for brighter times ahead.”

Nate Mook
Chief Executive Officer of World Central Kitchen
London (United Kingdom), 30th June 2021