Top 10 Facts about Daniel Humm

Eleven Madison Park, New York City. Photo by City Foodsters. Wikimedia Commons

Top 10 Facts about Daniel Humm

Daniel Humm is a Michelin-starred chef in the culinary world. He began training at a young age and has worked tirelessly to establish himself as a world-renowned chef. Chef Humm, who is still in his mid-40s, has received awards and accolades that others in his field can only dream of at that age.

Throughout his career, the chef has opened several successful restaurants, written several best-selling cookbooks, and received several Michelin stars. Surprisingly, when it came to choosing a career, Chef Humm couldn’t decide between cycling and cooking. In fact, he spent several years as a member of a professional cycling team before focusing solely on cooking.

1. Chef Humm earned his first Michelin star at the age of 24

In September 1976, Chef Humm was born in Switzerland. He began working in kitchens at the age of 14 years. During his early career, he worked in some of Switzerland’s finest hotels and restaurants, earning his first Michelin star at the age of 24.

2. He relocated from Switzerland to the United States in 2003

This is when he was named Executive Chef at Campton Place in San Francisco, where he received four stars from The San Francisco Chronicle. He relocated to New York City three years later. He had established himself as a promising chef with much to offer the culinary world by this point.

3. Danny Meyer’s Union Square Hospitality Group sold the restaurant to Chef Humm and Will Guidara

In 2011, Chef Humm and his business partner, Will Guidara, took over a position at Danny Meyer’s Union Square Hospitality. This location is now known as Eleven Madison Park, one of New York’s most recognizable restaurants.

4. He designed a menu that has been described as “refined haute gastronomy”

A menu. Photo by Max Burger. Unsplash

Daniel Humm, the Executive Chef at Eleven Madison Park, created a menu that is best described as “refined haute gastronomy,” delivered to fine diners with exceptional service. Since its inception, the restaurant has received widespread acclaim from diners and critics alike, and it was named the World’s Best Restaurant in 2017. The restaurant was completely renovated and temporarily relocated to a pop-up location the same year.

5. Chef Humm is also the Co-Founder of Rethink Food

Davies and Brook was housed in the historic Claridge’s Hotel in London. The chef is also the Co-Founder of Rethink Food, a New York-based non-profit. The goal of the company is to create a more sustainable and equitable food system.

When Eleven Madison Park was forced to close due to the global health crisis, Rethink Food was in charge of keeping a dozen chefs on staff and preparing and delivering meals to first responders and essential workers in food-insecure communities across New York. At the height of the pandemic, approximately 3,000 meals were delivered every day.

6. He launched Eleven Madison Home in 2020

Humm’s business entered a new era in October 2020. Eleven Madison Home, a dine-at-home meal kit, was launched by him. Each purchase provided 10 additional meals to New Yorkers who are food insecure. In April 2021, the chef launched Eleven Madison Truck, which serves an additional 2,000 meals per week to Brooklyn and The Bronx neighborhoods.

7. He left Claridges after they rejected his vegan menu proposal

Claridge’s, London. Photo by Chris Sampson. Wikimedia Commons

The chef parted ways with Claridge’s in November 2021 after proposing a vegan menu. They rejected the idea, however, because management was concerned about the reaction of the restaurant’s regular customers.

8. Chef Humm currently owns and operates a meat-free restaurant

Eleven Madison Park, New York City. Photo by City Foodsters. Wikimedia Commons

Daniel Humm currently owns and operates Eleven Madison Park in New York City. The restaurant recently went completely meat-free, a decision that the chef describes as pro-planet rather than anti-meat. He has also stated that this transition has been “meaningful and expansive” in his career, as cooking plant-based meals for diners has been “meaningful and expansive.”

The decision to convert Eleven Madison Park into a plant-based restaurant has received widespread acclaim, owing to the fact that the meals remain delicious and creative while also being kinder to the environment, as each meal helps to reduce one’s carbon footprint.

9. Daniel Humm has an estimated net worth of $15 million

Dollar sign. Photo by hometowncd. Unsplash

Daniel Humm is a well-known businessman and chef who has been in the spotlight for many years. He started working in early 2000, after moving to San Francisco. He also owns Eleven Madison Park, which has been named the world’s best restaurant. Daniel Humm currently has a net worth of $15 million.

Humm owns a number of real estate properties. He owns properties in Vancouver, Los Angeles, and New York. Daniel Humm’s car collection is quite extensive. He adores his automobiles and enjoys driving them. Humm owns a stunning Cadillac Escalade, a Mercedes-Benz, an Audi, and several other vehicles.

10. Humm’s decision to fully embrace veganism was met with controversy

A bowl of vegan food. Photo by Sonny Mauricio. Unsplash

Soon after Humm and Guidara announced their split, it was revealed that Humm was dating Laurene Powell Jobs, the widow of Steve Jobs and a longtime vegan for the most part. Humm described their relationship as “allowing me to see myself more clearly, and I get to be more myself by knowing her.” “Every day, she inspires me.” Perhaps it was her influence that resulted in a shocking announcement in spring 2021: Humm reopened with a completely vegan menu.

The vegan menu at EMP received a scathing 0-star review in the New York Times last October. The review also exposed a heinous hypocrisy: those who reserved a private dining room could still order meat. According to an anonymous food industry insider, Humm still consumes animal products.

Throughout his career, critics have unanimously agreed that Humm’s cuisine is delicious, intentional, beautifully presented, and imaginative. Chef Humm has always stated that the theater, art, and architecture inspire him just as much as the ingredients he uses. Being able to blur the lines between the kitchen and the dining room, according to Humm, is a sign of a good meal.