Roberto Ruiz is a young Basque chef making quite the name for himself within the country. He is obsessed with raw material, demanding the best for his restaurant, Fronton. So much so, in fact, that he goes himself to the market to handpick his produce daily, and treats this carefully selected veg with equal care in the kitchen.

The winner of our Rising Stars Sammic Scholarship for BasqueStage will stage with Chef Ruiz for the first three months of 2013.  They can expect a complete immersion course into the traditional cooking of Basque Country.

Chef Ruiz trained under all the star chefs of the area, including Martín Berasategui.  He was named this year the Best Restaurateur by the Academia Vasca de Gastronomía. He is also the founder of the Association of Tolosa Bean Growers. This area, and restaurant Fronton in particular, is known for its bean. Served as a stew with traditional accompaniments, it is a venerated dish that Ruiz prides himself on cooking to perfection.

One lucky winner will experience a stage under this dynamic, energetic chef, at his restaurant Fronton as well as his wine bar, Solana.4, his bakery, TPT,  and his cooking studio, Sukatalde.