Chef Crenn is no stranger to acclaim. The French native has been lauded by critics and colleagues since opening her flagship Atelier Crenn in 2011 in San Francisco’s Cow Hollow district. Now with two Michelin stars, a Netflix show and sibling eatery Petit Crenn in her portfolio, it’s no surprise that Crenn will this month (June 13) be bestowed the title of World’s Best Female Chef 2016 at a glitzy “World’s 50 Best” event at Cipriani Wall Street. We caught up with the chef to find out more about her culinary journey so far.

Your culinary journey arguably began with a literal journey – what did you learn as a young chef travelling through Europe?

Diversity has been the key to my growth. Travelling around Europe allowed me to learn huge amounts of information and get an insight into other cultures. This has given me the tools and mind-set to think differently about how I cook food and prepare dishes.

Do you still draw inspiration from travel – and are there any destinations you loved or want to explore?

Absolutely, travel is the driver for inspiration. There are a few places I really want to visit. I would like to travel across South America, particularly Brazil. I would love to go there and spend a lot of time with Roberta Sudbrack. I find her fascinating and she inspires me greatly. Kyoto in Japan intrigues me as well; it was once the capital of Japan and so still holds all the formal Japanese traditions close to its core. Kaiseki dining is at the forefront of the culinary scene there and that is where I would best understand the culture and experience the history of Japanese cuisine.

How would you compare (or contrast) the food culture in San Francisco with France?

San Francisco is about diversity; you can create with no restriction.

How does your flagship restaurant stand out from the crowd?

Atelier Crenn’s food is centred around organic, sustainable ingredients with an unusual inventive, and we always aim for stunning presentation. I feel that Atelier Crenn is a place for not just serious foodies (although they are very welcome) but also a place for celebrants of tasty and beautiful food. We have also gone slightly against the grain and taken away the traditional American tipping system; they are now inclusive in the price.

Where do you go for food in the city when you’re off work?

I adore San Francisco; it’s such an amazing food city! There are so many places that I love to visit. If I was to name a few I would probably say Petit Crenn, Bar Tartine, Rich Table, Foreign Cinema, State Bird Provisions. There are so many more – we are very spoilt for choice here in San Francisco.

California is known for its excellent local produce – is that something you’re passionate about?

I really cannot praise San Francisco enough for being such a special place in the sense that there are always new ways of thinking being born here, whether it’s to do with food production, food preparation or presentation. We are extremely blessed by the produce that the Bay area offers; we have the best farmers who roll out the best produce year on year. Away from food, the wine is sensational too.

You’ve already achieved so much in your career – what does this award mean to you?

To be voted and chosen as The World’s Best Female Chef 2016 by my peers and the people I’ve had the pleasure to cook for is an unbelievable honour. I have been so inspired by many of the past winners and so to be joining their ranks, and hopefully influencing and motivating chefs worldwide, is a really special moment for me. I am proud to share this award with my chef family: the teams at Atelier Crenn and Petit Crenn. Without them this accolade would not be possible.

Tell us about working on your series with Netlfix –  what can we expect from your new show, Chef’s Table?

Each episode of the series profiles a world-renowned chef. In my episode I really just give an insight into my journey from childhood to where I am now. I just want people to learn about the background of my family and my upbringing, and show people who and what the inspirations for my food and restaurants were.