Iago Martinez didn't waste any time, the prodigy of Spanish gastronomy. He was 17 when selected to work on Dabiz Muñoz's Food Truck, which he unexpectedly left shortly after. The Delicatessen Bakery & Coffee in Rivadabia was already prepared for him, as the manager of operations and the laboratory.
The Emergent
No doll combing, no jaguar stain removal. Iago Martinez wasn't yet of legal age when he hopeful sent his resume to Dabiz Muñoz, who promptly brought him on board the GoXO food truck that traveled through various Spanish regions this summer. A position for which any aspiring chef would have done anything but which he quickly left to open his own place on November 1, just after reaching the legal age, as he tells El Español.
Graduated in bread and pastry from La Coruña, having worked at Cerviño confectionery in O Carballino, aboard GoXO, he talks about doing everything from cheesecake to waffle sauce in a small but well-organized space. The star chef's plans were to keep him indefinitely, but he had his eyes on a pastry shop in Rivadabia, a stone's throw from his hometown, San Amaro. Here, the art parents Purificacion and José, along with his sister Xeila, run the restaurant O Escondite. They serve traditional dishes, from cod to squid, along with homemade desserts.
"Being born among the stoves brings you back among the stoves," Iago repeats. Because everything comes from there. The success of his initial attempts prompted the family to start selling artisanal panettone and Three Kings' ring cake. His confidence swelled like a leavened dough until he found the right place to achieve his dream and stayed put for six months. In the heart of the town, strategically located for local events, it was already a pastry shop, practically ready for relocation. In August, the first visit; in September, the contract; on November 1, the opening.
Just enough time to buy some new machinery and make some changes to the premises, which now offers ten seats. Iago takes care of everything: he is alone in the laboratory but also manages the operations, leaving him barely enough time to sleep (he mentions touching almost 15 hours of work). And the customers reward him, flocking for the extra virgin olive oil donut, cannoli, viennoiserie, and cheesecake.
