ʻUlu Ambassador: Beñat (Bernard) Ibarra

Chef Bernard Ibarra brings more than four decades of culinary experience spanning some of the world’s most celebrated hotels, resorts, and restaurants. He began his career at just 15 years old in the Basque Country, training under Chef Arrambide at the Michelin-starred Hotel Les Pyrénées while attending culinary school.

His career has since taken him around the globe, from acclaimed kitchens in the Basque Country to Four Seasons properties across Canada, the United States, Japan, and Singapore. He later served as Executive Chef of the Mandarin Oriental Hong Kong, where he hosted British government dinners during the historic 1997 handover of Hong Kong, before going on to lead major culinary programs at the Mirage and ARIA Resort & Casino in Las Vegas.

Most recently, Chef Bernard served as Executive Chef and later Vice President of Food & Beverage at Terranea Resort in Los Angeles. There, he championed a deeper connection between the kitchen and the land, pioneering initiatives including on-site farming, beekeeping, olive harvesting, kelp harvesting, house-crafted sea salt, and culinary education.

Now focused on culinary consulting, Chef Bernard and his wife, Jessica, brought their passion for food and agriculture to Kauaʻi, where they purchased an established ʻulu farm in the spring of 2025. As stewards of the land, they care for 89 mature ʻulu trees planted by the farm’s previous owners, Mr. and Mrs. Ward. As an ʻUlu Ambassador, Bernard brings a unique perspective shaped by decades in world-class kitchens and his growing connection to the land, celebrating ʻulu not only as a chef, but now as a grower and steward as well.

Read more about Chef Bernard at www.bernardibarra.com.