Culinary Beginning: Born and raised in Southern California, Chef Ben takes inspiration from the ever-evolving culinary scene and melting pot of cultures in and around Southern California. His passion for cooking comes from watching his father an already accomplish chef himself cook and prepare meals for his family. Chef Ben comes from a family that has deep cultural roots which was enough to spur his interest in becoming the best chef he could possibly be; growing up in Los Angeles and experiencing all the flavors of the city have helped shape and form the foundations of Chef Ben’s culinary philosophy of old world flavors combined with modern techniques.

Haute Cuisine: Ben has worked and partnered with various restaurants, hotels, clubs and resorts such as Brookside Country Club where he was the Chef De Cuisine at the helm, The JW Marriot Beach Resort and Luxe City Center Hotel where he was the Executive Chef in charge of multiple outlets. Ben’s ability to adapt and unique cooking style has allowed him to use his talents in a multitude of settings and as such has developed a positive reputation in the industry as a culinary leader and powerhouse. As Chef Ben continues to evolve and develop new partnerships his list of clients grows to include more prominent venues and private sector clientele.

Entertainment: In 2013 Ben appeared in “Chef Wanted” on the Food Network and since then has made several other appearances on various networks including “Cutthroat Kitchen” and a most notable win on Cooking Chanels “Farmers Market Flip”. Ben has also been featured on news station KTLA5 and Univision, Ben has also had the pleasure of cooking for world renown athletes, Singers and celebrities including Don Francisco, Pink, Migos, Kobe Bryant, Blake Griffin, Kiley Jenner, Cardi B, Juanes, The Bella Twins, Terry Crews, Gabrielle Union, Spike Lee, Jason Alexander and Dwayne Wade.

Tacos El Chapin: A concept pop up taqueria focusing on fusion of modern techniques with old world flavors. Tacos El Chapin provides specialized catering services and is a brand that showcases some of the great flavors of Guatemala, Southern Mexico and Central America and presents them in a familiar manner which are approachable while keeping their cultural traditions. Tacos El Chapin is currently operating on private platforms with soon to be available to the public for events and private tastings.

Especias Pura Vida: For the past 5 years we have develop a great working relationship with our industry partners and have applied our vast knowledge to transform the seasoning game; Chef Ben Diaz presents Especias Pura Vida a gourmet salt and specialty spice company to elevate your taste buds. All products are available in a limited small batch quantity to keep the quality and freshness at its peak.

CBDcuisine Consulting Services: After years of working with some of the best chefs and in some of the top restaurants in Southern California chef Ben started a consulting firm to help operators and owners achieve their business goals; with over 20 years of experience and over a decade in the development scene CBDcuisine has become a respected entity in the culinary community. We have developed concepts, menus, training material, operating procedures and various recipes for our clients. CBDcuisine is at the forefront for several business ventures and with our growing base of culinary experts and partners we are paving the way to a better culinary future.

Accolades & Awards: Ben has competed in over 100 local and international cooking competitions such as the word food championships and Cochon555. Ben’s most notable awards where for chef of the year 2019 for the chefs de cuisines association of California and best Latin food chef 2018 for latinfoodfest organization. Some of Chef Ben’s other awards include virtual champion food championships 2020, Best BBQ champion LACF 2020, ACF Culinary Team USA recognition award 2019, peoples champion culinary fight club 2017, made for chefs grand champion 2015. Chef Ben has also been inducted into some of the most prestigious culinary societies, Les amis de Escoffier, Disciples of Escoffier, World Master Chefs Society, Academia art Culinaire de’France and has received countless recognition for his work with the community.