The Swiss Daniel Humm has been named best chef in the United States.

The 36-year-old from Aargau has been working in New York for a number of years.

The prize was conferred by the James Beard Foundation in its spring awards covering all aspects of the food industry.
 
Humm is one of the youngest to win the award. The restaurant where he has worked since 2006, Eleven Madison Park, won the James Beard prize for the best restaurant last year.
 
The restaurant, which has three Michelin stars, figures on the recently published list of the 50 best restaurants in the world, having moved up from 24th to 10th place in the rankings.
 
Speaking on Monday night, Susan Ungaro, the president of the foundation, said Humm’s father could be proud and happy that his son had not followed his wishes and become an architect.

He was bringing his creativity into his cooking rather than showing it at the drawing table, she said.
 
The James Beard Foundation has been awarding prizes in the gastronomy sector for 25 years.