In an interview, the great Catalan chef talks freely about commitment to the environment, sustainability, customer-centricity, and new generations. Confirming that the human factor at Celler is everything.
The interview
Sustainability, according to Joan Roca
"The kitchen is a powerful tool for changing reality. Of course, we are concerned about our health, we consider what we eat, and at the same time, we are anxious about the planet's health. At Celler de Can Roca, we pay a lot of attention to the origin of products and their carbon footprint. A lot of things are going to change because our industry is becoming conscious in a very serious way, and it will definitely transform. We will start to eat and consume by following the seasons more, and it will increase our knowledge of cooking, in fact, it is already happening. We need to go back and look at what our grandmothers did, they did not throw anything away at all and took advantage of everything. We need to treasure their knowledge."
"At Celler de Can Roca eight years ago, a project called Roca Recicla (Roca Recycles) started, which employs people who reuse wine bottles. What we do is cut them up, clean them, melt them down and make glasses, plates, and tableware that we use in the restaurant or sell to customers as souvenirs. So, we generate a circular economy around recycling. With Styrofoam crates, we make stools, with sous vide bags, we make aprons. Our uniforms are all made of recycled plastic. We cultivate this culture, which already belonged to our grandmothers. It's not easy and requires substantial investment, but it can generate awareness and provide inspiration."
@Neolith
“There is enormous biodiversity in the Girona area due to the small size of the crops. There are different climatic zones in the same area, hence a strong biodiversity of products. Thanks to these factors playing in our favor, we at the Celler, like many other home cooks and chefs, can cook. We have a great spontaneity every time we look for local and seasonal products in a natural way. But there are areas where this does not exist, and it is necessary to source elsewhere. Where you can eat what you produce, you need to practice and reinforce this idea. In general, the Green Star is a very good initiative by Michelin. I think all restaurants should either have it or resign themselves to losing the other one as a precondition. Either you do well and are sustainable, or there is no place for you in the world to come."
White Flower
Critics and diners
"Stars are important because they give you a rank, and in recent years we have benefited from considerable recognition in all areas. We have received whatever awards you can bestow on a restaurant, which is something incredible to consider. But it has always been more important to take care of the customer and meet prior expectations (at what price? Find Joan Roca´s opinion on the cost of high cuisine here). More recognition means higher expectations, work is very important in this sense. Our restaurant is full eleven months of the year and has an almost equivalent waiting list, I think it is the only one in the world where this happens, and I am persuaded that it is not due to awards or double recognition as the best in the world, but to the fact that we continue to work with the same passion with which we started on the first day we opened."
@ES Photo
"We always give our best, so the customer comes out happy and content. That's the most important thing for us: thanks to them, our waiting list is exhausted in a flash when we open reservations every first of the month for the following year. At Celler de Can Roca, there is commitment, generosity, culinary talent, passion, and creativity. It is not done by hanging on to the stars, but by working hard and being fortunate that guests appreciate what is done every day."
Roasted malt consommé, seaweed, porcini mushroom, scallops
The young generation and the future
"Our idea is to have one restaurant, the Celler in Girona, that is very good and coveted, where we are, with our soul, and where we live because, in a way, the restaurant is a way of life. We don't aim to grow just to grow but to do it honestly. A formula that works very well for us. I have very positive feelings about the next generation. I see young people of many nationalities coming to train with us, and they are enthusiastic, motivated, passionate, and endowed with a strength that we thought was extinct. There are young people who are very committed to their work, with a clear view of the future, whether it will be sustainable or not. And that gives me hope, knowing all the projects they are putting in motion."
Source: Gastrolab
Find the article here
Cover Photo: @EFE- Alvaro Cabrera
