Yes, there are many celebrity chefs but only a few chefs have impressed on an international scale. These people change our perception of what cuisine should be like. Not only that, they also get us to part – willingly, of course – with big amounts of our cash.

Ferran Adrià Acosta

People who love food know about El Bulli and dream of going there at least once in their live. Adrià, whom Gourmet Magazine named the Salvador Dali of the kitchen, has been the head chef of the El Bulli restaurant since 1984. Adrià made molecular gastronomy, which means the pairing of unusual flavours and textures, famous. The restaurant received its second and third Michelin stars in 1990 and 1997 and it has been Restaurant Magazine’s Best restaurant in the world from 2006-8.

Gordon Ramsay

Gordon is the third best chef in the world; he is only outranked by Joël Robuchon and Alain Ducasse. He has received star ratings from not only Michelin but also from the Mobil and Good Food Guide. His 3 Michelin stars has certainly helped him to receive an OBE ‘for services to the hospitality industry’ in 2006.

Joël Robuchon

Joël Robuchon is in a different league: his 17 Michelin stars prove that. And if that doesn’t impress much, then his Gault Millau award of ‘Chef of the Century’, should. Joël owns 8 restaurants in 3 continents and has received awards ranging from Gayot Top 40 Restaurants in the US (2005-8) to the 2006 CondeNast Traveller ‘Hot Tables’.

Daniel Boulud

Jacques René Chirac, the French ex-President, made Daniel a Chevalier de la Légion d’honneur in 2006. Daniel is the author of 6 cookbooks, is passionate about French cuisine and has a place in the Who’s Who of Food and Beverage in America.The James Beard Foundation gave him this honour in 1995. He owns 6 restaurants, one of which – Daniel – the International Herald Tribune rated as one of the top 10 international restaurants.

Hiroyuki Kanda

Go to Tokyo for food that will make you close your eyes to enjoy every bite a bit better: the city has received more Michelin stars than any other. Kanda is one of the 8 restaurants that received the 3-star Michelin rating in 2008: ‘exceptional cuisine, worth a special journey’.

Seiji Yamamoto

Seiji Yamamoto creates beautiful food by paring molecular gastronomy with kaiseki. He impressed the audience at the Madrid Fusión 2008 with his Silkscreen of Squid Ink with Squid Carpaccio. You know you’ve made it when chefs such as Joël Robuchon and Ferran Adrià Acosta travel to dine at your restaurant. Seiji owns Ryugin, which has been a 2-star Michelin restaurant since 2008.

Alain Ducasse

Alain’s Le Louis XV restaurant is one of the 50 best restaurants in the world. This restaurant also has a mineral-water sommelier. Alain did the impossible: he received three Michelin stars for three different restaurants simultaneously. His restaurant received the James Beard Foundation’s Best New Restaurant award in 2001.