Lander Cornago from Arzak*** is one of the 8 finalists of Chef Balfegó 2024

Lander Cornago, from Restaurant Arzak*** (San Sebastián), is one of the four Spanish chefs who will compete alongside four other international chefs (Portugal, Italy, Germany, and Benelux) in CHEF BALFEGÓ 2024.

Lander has a degree in Gastronomy and Culinary Arts from the Basque Culinary Center (San Sebastian). After starting his career in several restaurants in the Basque Country, in 2019, he became head chef of Mirador de Ulía (San Sebastian), a former Michelin-starred restaurant. In 2020, he moved to Barcelona to join the team of the prestigious Disfrutar*** restaurant. Later that year, he returned to Donostia to experience the green cuisine of the restaurant LABe. His next apprenticeship in 2021 took him to one of the most iconic restaurants in Spain, working alongside Juan María and Helena Arzak at the restaurant Arzak*** (San Sebastián).

In 2022, he returned to LABe for a few months. Later in the year, he joined the restaurant Arzak***, where he is currently in charge of the R&D department.

The young chef feels honored to work at Arzak, a temple of Basque cuisine, the driving force behind a worldwide gastronomic revolution led by chef Juan Mari Arzak.

In his dishes for the CHEF BALFEGÓ 2024 competition, he wanted to combine traditional and contemporary cuisine. He enjoys working with bluefin tuna and is looking forward to participating in the competition and sharing a good experience with his fellow contestants.

Representing the Basque Country, home to the greatest chefs and the most renowned restaurant in the world, is a responsibility that Lander will bear on October 28 in Madrid.