50 Best Restaurants Scholarship 2025, in association with Parmigiano Reggiano

Angélica Ortiz

A star in the making who’s putting Colombia on a plate

After a short hiatus, the 50 Best Restaurants Scholarship, in association with Parmigiano Reggiano, returned in 2025. It’s open to any aspiring chef in the world with less than three full years’ experience in a professional kitchen or similar environment. From hundreds of applications received, one candidate stood out for their unwavering mission to better the future of hospitality: Angélica Ortiz from Medellín, Colombia.

Ortiz began her professional life in the world of political science and social research with a clear mission: to create a better, more equal society for all walks of life. But after years campaigning, she stepped away from the political frontline in search of new methods to achieve her mission. After some deliberation, her chosen avenue was the culinary arts, taking the leap to transform her life-long love of baking into a fully-fledged culinary career – with a specialisation in the world of pastry – less than three years ago.

After enrolling and graduating from the Mariano Moreno Institute culinary school in Colombia, she moved to New York in 2024 and began working at Café Mars, continuing to hone her craft of all things sweet. In mid-2025, she embarked on a new challenge to cook at Mexican restaurant Oxomoco in Brooklyn.

 While her career path may have altered, Ortiz has stayed true to her original mission and remains an outspoken advocate who is unafraid to challenge the status quo. Whether campaigning for better wages for producers or for the elimination of gender-based violence in professional kitchens, her selfless goal, paired with an impressive technical skill set, has landed her the title as one of the world’s most exciting up-and-coming chefs. She is the  deserving winner of the 50 Best Restaurants Scholarship, in association with Parmigiano Reggiano.

As winner of this year’s scholarship, Ortiz will have the opportunity to experience two all-expenses-paid internships at world-leading restaurants in early 2026: at El Celler de Can Roca (The World’s Best Restaurant 2013 and 2015) and SingleThread in Healdsburg, USA (No.80 in The World’s 50 Best Restaurants 2025).

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