Slovenian star chef Ana Roš Stojan, whose Hiša Franko is the only Slovenian restaurant with three Michelin stars, has been declared the best woman chef in the world at this year's The Best Chef Awards event in Dubai, the web portal The National has reported.

The prestigious title for Roš Stojan comes after she last year made it among the top three of the world's chefs list compiled by The Best Chef Awards.

The award ceremony in Dubai on 6 November was the eighth annual ceremony, featuring a total of 550 chefs from 61 countries.

Roš Stojan also received a special recognition in addition to two other Slovenian chefs, David Žefran from Milka Restaurant in Kranjska Gora and Luka Košir from Grič Restaurant near Horjul.

The Best Chef Awards group presented a new evaluation system in which knives are awarded as grades for the performance and skill in three categories.

At the event, 97 chefs received a three-knife rating for "culinary mastery", 177 chefs received a two-knife rating for displaying "superior expertise", and 276 chefs received a one-knife rating for "outstanding contribution in the field".

Roš Stojan received a three-knife rating, Žefran a two-knife rating and Košir a one-knife rating.

The best woman chef in the world runs the Hiša Franko restaurant near Kobarid in the north-west, which ranks 32nd on the list of 50 best restaurants in the world and is the only restaurant in Slovenia to boast three Michelin stars.

Serving locally sourced food in the Soča Valley, Hiša Franko, earned its third Michelin star in 2023 and has managed to retain it this year. It has also been awarded four toques by the Gault&Millau guide.