José Andrés is perhaps the most influential Spaniard in the world right now. After the Israeli drone strike that killed seven people who worked for his non-profit World Central Kitchen (WCK) in Gaza earlier this month, Andrés’s criticism of Israel has carried more weight and garnered more attention than any statement from a Spanish or other European political figure could.

It may seem strange that a chef raised in a former mining town in northern Spain who moved to New York as a 21-year-old with little money appears to wield such clout. But Andrés is no ordinary celebrity chef.

For a start he is an engaging storyteller. I met him years ago when he was giving a talk to a small group of fellows at Harvard, where he also taught a masterclass about science and cooking and it was mesmerising to listen to him share his experiences of growing up in Asturias, then working as a cook for the navy on a transatlantic ship, before building a gastronomic empire in the US and launching WCK to feed people in disaster zones. He talks a lot, is humble and funny, and is always eager to treat anyone to a meal in one of his restaurants.

Andrés is also skilled networker. Over the decades he has lived in the US (he became a US citizen in 2013), he has become a friend to the rich and powerful. He owns several award-winning restaurants serving Spanish, Mexican and Chinese cuisine in Washington DC, where Barack Obama would take his wife Michelle for a date, and a food market in New York called Little Spain. He often cooks with The Late Show’s Stephen Colbert, and has produced several television shows. His portrait hangs at the........

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