From producing alternative milk from stem cells to challenging misconceptions of indigenous cuisines, 50 Next is a group of pioneers, activists and trailblazers who are shaping the future of the wider gastronomic ecosystem. They were united in Bilbao, in the Spanish Basque Country, on Friday 24th June 2022 for a day of stimulating talks and debates ahead of the revelation of the Class of 2022 – discover what happened at the event and what these inspiring individuals had to say
1. “Research is nothing more than asking questions and trying to find solutions to the everyday problems that we find.” Maitane Alonso Monasterio
21-year-old Basque medical student Maitane Alonso Monasterio, who was selected as part of the 50 Next Class of 2021, opened the day’s proceedings with an inspirational address focused on rethinking food waste. The inventor of an innovative technique to preserve food told the assembled audience: “We all have a researcher inside. Sustainability is simple – we just have to go from planning to action.”
2. “We’ve always had the chance to choose our ingredients. At the beginning, recipes were literal descriptions meant to heal.” David Zilber
Another member of the 50 Next Class of 2021, David Zilber took to the stage at the Palacio Euskalduna in Bilbao to discuss how recipes can change the world. The former Head of Fermentation at World’s Best Restaurant Noma in Copenhagen explored the history of recipes and considered their ability to heal an increasingly fragmented world.
3. When we look at history, food is consistently one of, if not the primary driver, in shifts in human behaviour.” Jenny Dorsey
The first member of the Class of 2022 to be revealed on 24th June, Jenny Dorsey is a 31-year-old Chinese-American chef who creates tools, resources and spaces to promote and accelerate social transformation in terms of diversity, equity and inclusion. Her stirring address grounded social justice research into everyday practices to change the gastronomic world for the better.
4. “Generosity is the greatest value our parents passed onto us, as well as hard work, gratitude and sharing.” Joan Roca
50 Next is committed to connecting the new generation of culinary minds with the gastronomic leaders of today – and who better to represent the latter than Joan Roca, chef and co-owner of El Celler de Can Roca, which achieved the No.1 position in The World’s 50 Best Restaurants list twice. Having evolved his parents’ neighbourhood bar into a successful ecosystem of businesses in his hometown of Girona, he talked about the essential ingredients of the entrepreneur and the importance of human and economic sustainability.
5. “What plant-based alternatives offer is a deviation from mass-produced animal proteins.” Leah Bessa
South African Leah Bessa is firm believer that insects are the food of the future. She was joined on stage by vegan chef from Zimbabwe Nicola Kagoro, Singaporean scientist Fengru Lin and forward-thinking Basque chef Javier Rivero to address the future of animal protein. The group discussed transforming our current approach to sourcing and farming as well as the opportunities that alternative protein sources offer in an over-populated world.
6. “My objective is to be an outspoken black woman, and also to show the beauty of indigenous ingredients and reintroduce them to the South African diet.” Mmabatho Molefe
50 Next Class of 2022 member Mmabatho Molefe is the chef-owner of Emazulwini, a restaurant in Cape Town with an all-black, all-female team that promotes traditional ingredients and recipes that have often been dismissed as ‘not fine dining’. Her inspirational speech focused on the challenges of being an entrepreneur while supporting female talent and encouraged the audience to question their own behaviours in this area.
7. “I realised that the change I wanted to see globally had to start at home. We needed to know our cuisine and express it in the most vivid way.” Michael Adé Elégbèdé
Michael Adé Elégbèdé, the Nigerian chef behind ground-breaking restaurant Ìtàn in Lagos, was joined on stage by Atelier Crenn chef and Icon Award 2021 winner Dominique Crenn. The pair quizzed each other on several topics, from Michael’s decision to move back to Nigeria to open his own restaurant to Dominique’s advice for the next generation of cooks. The chef and activist responded: “Go travel! Ask to be invited into a place you have never been, go there with humility and absorb the knowledge that place is going to give you.”
Watch the moment that the 50 Next Class of 2022 was announced in Bilbao:
The 50 Next Class of 2022 was announced at a live awards ceremony in Bilbao, Spain, on Friday 24th June 2022 – meet this group of young, talented individuals on the 50 Next website. To stay up to date with all the news and announcements, browse the website and follow us on Facebook, Instagram, Twitter and YouTube.
