Although many might recognise his name from the award-winning Lima-based restaurant Astrid y Gastón (Astrid being his German pastry chef wife), chef Gastón Acurio is synonymous with the cuisine of his native Peru.

Soft-spoken in conversation, he is obviously a lion in the kitchen; after all, Acurio’s culinary genius has been rolled out in various restaurants in the Americas, at La Mar and T’anta, as well as at his eponymous fine-dining establishment that launched 1,000 ships. Recent successes were celebrated with the Latin America 50 Best restaurants awards in September, at which his flagship establishment was conferred the continent’s top spot and he received a life achievement award. Here, Acurio talks about the past and the future of Peru’s cuisine, as well as his latest sustainability campaign.

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