Paula Gutiérrez, winner of the 2026 Chef of the Year competition and executive chef at Tayta*, a Michelin-starred restaurant in Salamanca, has been named on the Forbes list of the 100 most influential women in Spain.
The awards ceremony, held last night in Madrid, added yet another accolade to the 25-year-old chef’s career.
Her inclusion in this list comes months after she won the tenth edition of the Chef of the Year competition. On 26 March, Gutiérrez took first prize in the final held at Alimentaria+Hostelco in Barcelona. Now, her appearance in Forbes further raises the profile of a chef who is establishing her voice both within and beyond the restaurant. Her work is rooted in a firm belief: cooking allows you to express who you are, share experiences and develop your own perspective on the world.
A career in top kitchens
Born in Salamanca on 8 November 2000, Paula Gutiérrez Pérez grew up with a close connection to gastronomy. The daughter of a Peruvian father and a Spanish mother, she was exposed to elements of both cultures from a young age. However, her training and professional experiences have enabled her to develop her own personal approach to translating these influences onto the plate.
She studied an advanced diploma in Cuisine and Hospitality at the Leioa School of Hospitality in Bizkaia. In 2018, she began her professional career at Etxanobe Atelier*, in Bilbao, alongside Fernando Canales and Mikel Población. She then worked at the family-run restaurant Víctor Gutiérrez*, in Salamanca, between 2019 and 2020.
His career continued at Noor***, Paco Morales’s restaurant in Córdoba; Deessa**, run by Quique Dacosta at the Mandarin Oriental Ritz in Madrid, where he was part of the team that secured the restaurant’s second Michelin star; and Cocina Hermanos Torres***, in Barcelona. She also broadened her experience in Switzerland, helping to open a gourmet hotel in the Alps and working at a Michelin-starred restaurant in Zurich.
Currently, as head chef at Tayta*, she combines Spanish and Peruvian produce and flavours, with a particular focus on game. The Salamanca-based restaurant is the base from which she continues to explore her culinary language. For Paula, inspiration can come from a memory, a song, a journey or a conversation. Her interests outside the kitchen fuel an understanding of gastronomy that connects her life experiences with the stories she wishes to tell through her dishes.
Two competitions to promote talent in the kitchen and front of house
Paula Gutiérrez’s career joins that of the professionals who have found a platform for recognition in the Chef of the Year Competition. Organised by Grupo Caterdata, the biennial competition shares with the Waiter of the Year Competition the aim of recognising talent and raising the profile of the various trades within the hospitality industry.
The list of ‘Chef of the Year’ winners includes names such as Jordi Cruz, Beatriz Sotelo, José Carlos Fuentes, Víctor Manuel Rodrigo, Joaquín Baeza Rufete, Raúl Resino, Álvaro Salazar, Cristóbal Muñoz and Toño Rodríguez. Paula Gutiérrez is the most recent winner of a competition that has supported the professional development of outstanding chefs.
For its part, Waiter of the Year highlights the essential role of front-of-house service. Its challenges assess skills such as customer service, wine knowledge, mixology, coffee service and table service. Javier Gil, winner of the 2026 edition, is the most recent winner of this competition.
Cambrils will kick off the new edition
The 2026–2028 edition will be the eleventh for Chef of the Year and the seventh for Waiter of the Year. The first semi-final of both competitions will take place on 4 March 2027 at the Cambrils School of Hospitality and Tourism. The town in the province of Tarragona will bring together the contestants for a day dedicated to talent in the kitchen and front of house.
The top three finishers in each competition from each of the two 2027 semi-finals will progress to the grand final. This will take place as part of Alimentaria+Hostelco 2028, at the Gran Via venue of Fira de Barcelona, where six chefs and six front-of-house professionals will compete.
Support from the sponsors
Alimentaria+Hostelco, a founding sponsor, is leading the support for both competitions. The new edition also enjoys the backing of Cambrils Town Council, Campofrío Smart Solutions, Juver, Cirio, Bonduelle, Mahou San Miguel, Café 170, Solán de Cabras, Nocilla, ColaCao, Atún Rojo Fuentes, Vajillas Churchill, Garcimar, Arla Foods, Aceites Rafael Salgado, Silken Hotels, Duni and Gary’s.
Source: TOMCOM VIDEO