Gib Chefs Acclaimed by AA UK Restaurant Guide
The world-renowned AA Restaurant Guide 2020 has been unveiled, and Gibraltar has scored three mentions in the acclaimed book.
Known as the food lover’s guide to the best cuisine in Britain, it contains over 2,000 restaurants that have been awarded Rosettes for culinary excellence by the AA’s professional inspectors.
We caught up with those who’ve been commended…
Alfred Rodriguez
Executive Chef – Rock Hotel
Why did you decide to become a chef?
Always new from the age of 5!
Where and how were you trained?
Gibraltar Technical College, Lancaster and Morecombe College of Art and Technology, and Queens Hotel Leeds. Later on, at Le Gavroche in London which had 3 Michelin Stars and Le Mazarin which had 1 Michelin Star, the Halcyon Hotel and the London Ritz.
How long have you been a Chef in Gibraltar?
I have worked in the industry for nearly 50 years and all of this in the same establishment.
What does your average day look like, what sort of hours are required?
My days are never the same. I could be doing my normal 10-hour day or 16 hours if there is a banquet.
Which chefs do you admire the most and why?
The biggest human influence on my career is my mother, who is a fantastic cook, and Jimmy Bossino my first General Manager. The Gaggero family who own the Rock Hotel for their great support and encouragement throughout the years and last, but not least, the great Albert Roux.
What is your favourite cuisine to cook?
I like cooking fish for its delicate flavours and fresh pasta for some of our signature dishes.
What is your signature dish?
My saffron prawns with forbidden rice, and our wild mushroom ravioli are just a few signature dishes but there are many more.
What is your favourite wine?
I am not a wine buff, but I enjoy light German wines.
When are you happiest at work?
I am happiest at work when we are at our busiest there is a special buzz about the place fantastic.
What foods do you like to pair together and why?
When we pair food, we always look at trends and see whether they suit our style. At the moment there is a lot of influence Coming from Peru and other south American countries.
What would your ideal menu look like at this restaurant?
My ideal menu is a short one with fresh produce.
How often do you like to change your lunch and dinner menu?
Our À La Carte menus change summer and winter and our house menus change daily.
How do you go about developing a menu? What do you consider when
creating a new menu?
When developing a menu, one must consider the clientele you are serving, your staff capabilities, and the budget. The number of people you are catering for and how easy it is to serve; all this must apply and then it’s just about creativity.
Are you a hands-on chef where you work the line or more of a managerial executive chef and stay in the background? (to explain his role)
I am very much a hands-on chef but in my latter years I have started delegating to the supervisors.
What does your ideal kitchen team look like?
I feel privileged to form part of the wonderful brigade we have at the moment and I consult constantly with my both my Head Chef’s Andres and Rachid, also with Abdeslam our Head Pastry Chef for whom I have the greatest professional respect.
Mirko Scarabello
Executive Chef: The Sunborn
Why did you decide to become a chef?
I was raised in a family involved hospitality business and cooking became my passion when I went to school.
Where and how were you trained?
I started with few internships and moved on working side by side with Michelin star chefs in Italy and England.
How long have you been a Chef in Gibraltar?
4 years.
What does your average day look like, what sort of hours are required?
I oversee all the culinary operation here in Sunborn with 2 restaurants and the banqueting team, all this involve a lot of planning, research and management of 40 team’s member. I work an average of 10 hours per day.
Which chefs do you admire the most and why?’
My mentor, Pino Lavarra, 2 Michelin stars chef at the moment in Doha. From the first time I met him in 1998, I often reflect on him as my guide in sense of tasting, quality, passion and calmness.
What is your favourite cuisine to cook?
Mediterranean.
What is your signature dish?
Smoked risotto with seabass carpaccio and lime emulsion.
What is your favourite wine?
Wildbacher of Collalto, autochthonous from my region in Italy.
What do you do to stay current on new trends? What are trends for this season?
I do research online, I travel to taste and see new things, I read culinary books. The trends for this and next season are mainly plant based menu, healthy option and sustainability.
When are you happiest at work?
When I receive good feedback from our clients, that makes me proud of our work and my team.
What foods do you like to pair together and why?
At the moment, vegetables and vegan dishes, because it is challenging for me and I like the challenge.
How does your winter menu differ from your spring menu?
I follow the seasonality of products availability even though now we can have most the things all year around however not with the same taste and this is the key for me.
What would your ideal menu look like at this restaurant?
As it is.
How often do you like to change your lunch and dinner menu?
Here in Gibraltar where the seasons are long, I am changing twice a year.
How do you go about developing a menu? What do you consider when creating a new menu?
For me everything start with 3 main question:
Where? Which Location and type of restaurant
When? Season, lunch or dinner
Who? Clientele target
Then the research of products, the food trends and consideration of the potential available in terms of equipment, people and budget.
Javier Villero
Head Chef – Nuno’s Caleta Hotel
Why did you decide to become a chef?
Really it was purely by chance. When I was 16 years old and studying at high school, I started working in a tapas bar in Barcelona. As I really enjoyed the job, I decided I wanted to make a career out of it, so I went to study at the Escola Superior d’Hostaleria de Barcelona (ESHOB).
Where and how were you trained?
As I said, I was trained at the Escola Superior d’Hostaleria de Barcelona (ESHOB).
The restaurant where I began my career was that of the late Santi Santamaria,”El Raco de Can Fabes’. I started working there as soon as I finished my studies. At that time the restaurant had two Michelin Guide stars. The following year we were awarded three stars. I spent seven years at this restaurant and ended up becoming the second chef. I then went to work in the restaurant of Alain Ducasse in Monaco, which also had 3 Michelin stars. I have also worked in Pedro Subijana’s “Akelarre” restaurant in San Sebastian.
How long have you been a Chef in Gibraltar?
I was first a chef in Gibraltar 10 years ago at the Caleta Hotel. Before I left Gibraltar, I had been the Head Chef at Nuno’s Restaurant for two years. I decided I really wanted to come back to Gibraltar – as both my grandfather and great-grandfather were from Gibraltar – so I have now been the Head Chef at Nuno’s again for three months.
What does your average day look like, what sort of hours are required?
You have to be dedicated when you work in the hospitality sector. My working days vary, but they are usually around 10 to 12 hours sometimes more.
Which chefs do you admire the most and why?
The chef I admire the most is Santi Santamaria because I shared a lot with him, he was a very important person in my life. I admire many chefs such as Paul Bocusse, Alain Ducasse, Michel Bras Juan Mari Arzak, Ferran Adria… But above all, I admire all the professionals who work in kitchens and love their profession.
What is your favourite cuisine to cook?
I like cooking everything, but above all I focus on the produce . If the produce is good, I love to cook it in different ways until I find the perfect way to prepare it.
What is your signature dish?
To me all my dishes are signature dishes, so this question should really be put to the diners. In the end, my signature dish is the one diners will order frequently.
What is your favourite wine?
Actually, I do not have one. Now that I in Gibraltar I opt more for regional wines such as port or sherry. Today we are fortunate as almost all the wineries make great wines.
What do you do to stay current on new trends? What are trends for this season?
I am from Barcelona where there is a lot of competition, so you have to know the latest trends. I attend fairs like the San Sebastian Gastronómica or Madrid Fusion, I also go to great restaurants. It is true that cuisine has evolved a lot over these last years. Currently it involves changes of texture, foams, airs, sprays, low temperature cooking, etc.
When are you happiest at work?
When I ask a diner how the food was and get a positive response … when you fill the restaurant and all the diners are satisfied. In the end our greatest gratification is the thanks from our patrons.
What foods do you like to pair together and why?
There is a dish that I have been making for a long time and will feature on Nuno’s next menu. It is scallop with sweet potato, they are two products that are now in season and I think that no flavour overlaps with the other in this way and I like that.
How does your winter menu differ from your spring menu?
More than anything it’s the ingredients I use. I always try to use seasonal produce and, as you know, all vegetables have their seasons, as with the truffle, mushrooms etc …
In winter I like to use chestnuts, quince, truffle and mushrooms for example whereas in spring more vegetables, fruits, fresher dishes, more salads.
What would your ideal menu look like at this restaurant?
The tasting menu, because it comprises different dishes and gives more of a global idea of the type of cuisine we prepare.
HOW often do you like to change your lunch and dinner menu?
For me, I like to change the menu when the seasons change as this affects the choice of produce available and people’s dining preferences.
How do you go about developing a menu? What do you consider when creating a new menu?
The first thing I do is look for the quality and availability of the main ingredients because in Gibraltar it can sometimes be difficult to obtain certain produce. After getting the main ingredients, I study the dishes to ensure they do not look alike, and look for seasonal garnishes. I also ensure that my gastronomic offering is varied and able to please as many diners as possible.
Note: translated from Spanish
You might be interested in
