If cooking were a symphony, Pedro Subijana would be the conductor most reluctant to put down his baton. At the age of 77, with six decades spent among stoves, sautéed vegetables, and revolutionary insights, the Basque maestro has absolutely no intention of leaving the kitchen.
While contemporary gastronomy often races headlong toward early retirement or ego-driven ostentation, the three-Michelin-starred soul of the renowned Akelarre restaurant in San Sebastián continues to champion the purest value of its craft: the sacred fire of lifelong learning.
The recipe for eternal youth: doubt, nonconformity, and no retirement
“It deeply irritates me that there are people in their fifties who are already thinking about early retirement, when they still have so much to offer society,” the chef admits to La Vanguardia with his usual candor, seasoned with a pinch of amiable provocation. For Subijana, the secret to staying on top is not some secret haute cuisine technique, but a mindset: asking questions, always and under any circumstances.
In his kitchen, there’s a motto that has become a true philosophy of life: “Why not try a different way?”. It’s no coincidence that his personal mantra sounds almost like a recipe that’s never finished: “I can be happy, but never satisfied.” When asked about his next goals, he replies with a laugh that his life plan is set for 200 years: no worries about the future, as long as his strength and mind hold out, a chef’s place is wherever value is created.
Beyond the Mustache: Co-opetition and Team Spirit
The personal and professional journey of the pioneer of New Basque Cuisine recently made it to the big screen in the documentary “Subijana, Beyond the Mustache” (directed by Jorge Fernández Mayoral and Jesús Javier Ruiz Aquerreta), presented at the San Sebastián International Film Festival. The title arose from a lighthearted contrast with the directors, who were “obsessed with his iconic mustache” (which he has worn with pride for fifty years), while for Pedro, the true essence lies in values.
In a culinary world often dominated by vanity and self-centeredness, Subijana advocates the concept of “coopetition”—that is, the ability to collaborate even while competing. “We work together; we don’t get in each other’s way, but we share the mutual goal of always doing better,” she explains. A work ethic that combines the iron discipline of the kitchen team with the generosity of someone who knows how to help their staff grow as a true family.
Between the family pastry shop, discipline, and the future
Behind his positive disposition and that infectious smile that “opens many doors and costs nothing” lies the imprint of a childhood marked by the aromas of his father’s pastry shop. But there’s also the strict discipline of someone who has been able to reevaluate his lifestyle for the sake of his health, cutting his portion sizes and calorie intake in half in recent years and losing 30 kilos without ever losing his zest for life.
And what about tomorrow? No nostalgia here. Akelarre’s continuity is already assured thanks to the generational transition led by his daughter Oiana, who, in addition to the restaurant, manages the elegant five-star hotel that opened in 2017. Subijana looks ahead with great serenity: “It would make me incredibly happy to know that from up there, peering through the keyhole, I’ll see them doing even better than I did, almost forgetting those who came before them.” A legacy made up of unforgettable dishes, but above all, a masterclass: as long as there’s curiosity on the plate, it’s never time to turn off the stoves.
