Aurelio Morales, a former chef at Cebo and ABYA, decides to take a break from haute cuisine while he waits for the right time to get seriously back in the game; in fact, he has found that there is no longer as much work as when he started. In the meantime, to keep himself busy, he runs his own consulting firm and dispenses great advice to colleagues in need.
The News
Aurelio Morales, for years Paco Pérez's right-hand man, in 2022 decided to leave Cebo in Madrid's Urban hotel, where he managed to earn his first Michelin star, to devote himself to ABYA until last October 11: “It is a place I am very fond of, but I still felt it was appropriate to discontinue the collaboration,” the chef tells Infobae.
The project, located in an old French mansion in Madrid - the Palacio de Saldaña - immediately caught the public's attention, especially for its multifaceted and richly detailed interiors. So much so that no expense was spared to open it: 50 million euros were invested to return more than 1,000 m² to the city, developed on four floors, a unique place that is a symbol of elegance and modernity. “I currently offer consulting, that's what I do while trying to get a breath of fresh air waiting for the right opportunity to get back on track”.
Through his company Goncodi Gastro, Aurelio was tasked with curating the menu at Mena (at LaFinca Grand Café), devising a selection of dishes that reflected the essence of the business, which is strongly linked to charcoal and wood oven cooking, and training the staff. "To ideate it is essential to possess knowledge, without it you risk falling into the banal: people do not seek what already exists, but want to be surprised by novelty. My friend Ferran Adrià taught me this. So study it! It is not enough to exploit innate abilities such as curiosity, talent and inventiveness".
He continues, "When I started when I was 16 (24 years ago), we were in the absolute creative boom, working at an incredible pace. That kind of process gradually began to slow down after ElBulli closed in 2011. I didn't mind it at all, however, I understand that nowadays we don't need to rush".
The Madrilenian even signed the new Quinta Gamma from Central de Carnes Grupo Norteños: "I use the best cuts from one of the largest companies in Spain, exclusively of Asturian origin, and prepare them with modern and advanced techniques. Why not cook with a great product, whether at home or in a restaurant".
