Renowned chef and humanitarian José Andrés to deliver inspirational talk for UCSB Arts & Lectures

“Build longer tables, not higher walls,” said José Andrés, world-renowned chef, restaurateur and humanitarian. The founder of nonprofit organization World Central Kitchen (WCK), guided by the principle that “food is a universal human right,” will speak at 5:30 p.m. May 23, at the Arlington Theatre. Courtesy of UCSB Arts & Lectures, he will appear in conversation with KLITE’s Catherine Remak, a career broadcaster and recipient of the 2020 Santa Barbara Person of the Year Award. (This live event with Andrés was originally scheduled for April 21).  

Andrés was named one of Time’s 100 Most Influential People in both 2012 and 2018, and was recipient of the 2015 National Humanities Medal. He is an internationally recognized culinary innovator, author, Emmy Award-winning television personality and the chef and owner of José Andrés Group.  His latest cookbooks include “Zaytinya: Delicious Mediterranean Dishes from Greece,” “Turkey, and Lebanon” and “The World Central Kitchen Cookbook: Feeding Humanity, Feeding Hope.”  

A pioneer of Spanish tapas in the U.S., Andrés is known for his avant-garde cuisine and his nearly three dozen restaurants located throughout the U.S. and beyond. He has received James Beard Awards for outstanding chef and for humanitarian of the year. In 2023, his show “José Andrés and Family in Spain” received an Emmy Award for outstanding culinary series. 

As a committed advocate on food and hunger, Andrés has participated in the national debate on food policy. WCK, which he founded in 2010, delivers food relief to communities in the wake of natural and humanitarian disasters. 

WCK served 4 million meals in Puerto Rico following Hurricane Maria, and has responded to dozens of major disasters worldwide, distributing hundreds of millions of meals in the process. A decade after he introduced his pioneering college course The World on a Plate, Andrés launched the Global Food Institute, a partnership with George Washington University to develop innovative new food policies and train the next generation of leaders. A naturalized U.S. citizen originally from Spain, Andrés has been a tireless advocate for immigration reform, and on July 4, 2014 was named by President Barack Obama as that year’s Outstanding American by Choice. 

For tickets or more information, call UCSB Arts & Lectures at (805) 893-3535 or purchase online at www.ArtsAndLectures.UCSB.edu. Tickets are $50/$35/$20/$10 all students (Current student ID required). A $50 ticket includes a Chef José Andrés cookbook (one per household, pick up at event)