PROFILE // Juan Carlos Negrete Lopez
Juan Carlos Negrete Lopez Exploring can come with its risks, but for Juan Carlos Negrete Lopez, there is no greater joy than stepping up to the plate.
JUAN CARLOS NEGRETE Lopez was
in late 2020 with the goal of changing the
culinary school. He studied culinary arts and
conscious cooking.
vegan chef was viewed as a limitation by his
beginnings in Mexico, making the move to
WORDS Aristine Dobson
explore the potential of sustainable cooking
restaurant during adverse times.
the odd one out as the only vegan in his
gastronomy in Puebla, Mexico, where being a peers. But Lopez saw it as an opportunity to through the lens of Mexican cuisine.
A passion for permaculture and farming led
him to Australia, where he learned the ropes of rearing animals before he entered the kitchens of venues including Three Blue Ducks. Now,
he’s running his own show. The chef opened Maiz Mexican Street Food with his family 26 | Hospitality
perceptions of Mexican cuisine and advocating Lopez talks to Hospitality about his
Australia, taking up farming and opening a
Juan Carlos Negrete Lopez travelled while
studying, working in various parts of Mexico before heading to the US. Navigating
university was a challenge for the budding chef, who was often hit with lines of
questioning about his vegan diet. “Everyone
