Jordi Tarré earned his first Michelin star at just 28 years old, after a journey of sacrifice and hard work. Owner and chef of the Prodigi restaurant in Barcelona, Tarré has built his career with an absolute dedication to cooking, never letting himself be influenced by current fads or social media.
Does a Michelin star really change lives?
According to Tarré, getting a Michelin star definitely brings more bookings, but it cannot be the main engine of a restaurant. “The restaurant has to work before the star, you cannot build a business hoping to get an award,”, he declares to El Mundo. For him, cooking is passion and discipline, not seeking external validation or fame. Unlike many of his colleagues, Tarré is not attracted to the spotlight. "I don't really like ceremonies or television. I have an Instagram account, but I don't even know if I have 1,000 followers!", he says. For him, the key to success has been total dedication.
A beginning without a vocation
Unlike many chefs, Tarré did not discover his passion as a child. "Until middle school I was doing very well in school, then I lost interest. One day I saw an Arguiñano program on TV and decided to study cooking," he admits. Without an innate vocation, he built his talent with constant work and experience in the field. Although the prestigious Celler de Can Roca appears on his resume , Tarré confesses that his real training took place in England, at the famous The Fat Duck. "At the Celler I spent only four months, doing the most basic work. At The Fat Duck, however, I really grew up." Here he learned what it means to work under pressure and with very high standards.
The sacrifice behind success
To climb the ranks, Tarré faced grueling shifts: "I worked 16-17 hours a day, six days out of seven. I ate in five minutes, only once a day." He found a novel way to get noticed: "I took great care in preparing the meal for the staff. The head of the kitchen asked me my name, and from that moment he started giving me important assignments." Now that he is the boss, he has decided to create a more humane environment: "Here everyone has a name, everything is asked please, thanks are always said. Respect is fundamental." However, he acknowledges that the extreme discipline he experienced helped make him the chef he is today.
Opening a restaurant at age 26 without investors
Tarré realized his dream without the support of big chains or investors. “I saved like crazy from age 18 to 25 and took out a loan at the bank, with my parents as guarantors”. The beginning was not easy: "The first day no customers came in, I started crying in the kitchen. But then things started going well."
Why a Michelin star was awarded?
According to the chef, the recognition came because of his perseverance and attention to detail. "I don't think a puree has ever come out of my kitchen without salt. I control everything and the customer feels it." Still, he does not feel he has arrived: "There is still a long way to go. But now I can recognize when a dish has a certain level and what a Michelin star requires." Despite the prestige, Tarré has decided to keep prices affordable: the tasting menu costs 80 euros, lunch 35 euros. “I don't inflate prices just because I have a star.” It is an approach that sets him apart in an industry where price inflation is increasingly evident.
A talent built on sacrifice
Jordi Tarré is proof that success in the restaurant industry does not come from social media or TV, but from constant work, discipline, and the pursuit of excellence. A young chef who, with humility and determination, has already made his mark in the world of fine dining.
