University of Food

Years ago when the RDAs were first invented Derek Map who led the East Midlands one wanted to develop a University of Food to support the rural economy. For a whole range of bureaucratic reasons he wasn’t allowed to call it that. The potency of the idea gradually ebbed away, which was a shame because the production of food can be an impetus for much in terms of rural economic development stretching from primary production to tourism. This article shows that the idea is alive and kicking elsewhere and has the potential to do some real good.

An innovative prize for food that does good as well as tastes good is to be awarded by what must be one of the world’s most distinctive universities.

This prize for a chef, worth 100,000 euros (£77,000), has been likened to a Nobel prize for food, as it judges the creators of food in terms of how their work has improved society.

The Basque Culinary World Prize is the brainchild of the Basque Culinary Center, which has the unusual distinction of being a university entirely dedicated to food.

The university, in a building that looks like a stack of white plates, is in San Sebastian, in the Basque region on the north coast of Spain.

Heston Blumenthal is part of the international judging panel and he says the idea is to recognise chefs who are “striving to improve society through gastronomy”.