LAUSANNE, SWITZERLAND – The lessons began in Zurich and were continued in Pont de Brent near Lausanne, and finally confirmed beyond a doubt in New York: 36-year-old chef Daniel Humm at Eleven Madison Park restaurant was named the James Beard 2012 “outstanding chef”.

The award, given to the Aargau-born chef for his work at the Michelin three-star address in Manhattan, is one of the most coveted US culinary awards.

Humm began his career as a 14-year-old apprentice at Baur au Lac in Zurich and he was trained by one of the country’s top chefs, Gérard Rabaey, at Pont de Brent.

He moved to the US in 2003. He earned his first Michelin star at age 24 as executive chef at Gasthaus zum Gupf, east of Stt Gallen in the Alpine village of Rehetobel.

He was named New York’s best chef by the James Beard Foundation in 2010 and the Eleven Madison Park, which he manages, was last year named the city’s top restaurant by the group.

Humm, well before winning the award, said that if he were ever honoured by an invitation to cook at Beard House, he would choose “Eleven Madison Park’s egg cream, Long Island clambake, and their take on New York cheesecake”, according to the foundation’s blog.

And invited he was!