Slovenian chef Ana Roš named World’s Best Female Chef

Ana Roš heads up the kitchen at Hiša Franko in Slovenia’s Soča Valley. After developing a global following and helping to put her country’s cuisine on the map, small town chef Roš has been named The World’s Best Female Chef 2017.

Once an aspiring diplomat and a champion skier, Roš is a self-taught cook. She and her sommelier husband, Valter, inherited Hiša Franko in 2000, prompting Roš to embark on a culinary quest that saw her both travel far and wide to learn from other restaurants, and discover the enviable quality of local produce from the Soča Valley. The chef’s work at Hiša Franko sees Roš bring together the cuisines that influenced her in her youth — Italian, Hungarian, Austrian and Croatian — with local ingredients and a distinctive Slovenian flair.

“The award came as a surprise to me. It is a big responsibility to accept this award, especially as a self-taught cook, but the recognition provides an opportunity for people to reassess Slovenia as an interesting gastronomic destination,” the 44-year-old chef said in response to being awarded the honour.

Roš will receive the World’s Best Female Chef Award at the World’s 50 Best Restaurants ceremony in Melbourne, Australia, on 5 April.

You can find out more about Ana Roš and Hiša Franko here.

Source: The Upcoming