World’s best restaurant to tour South-America in August 2014

Barcelona (ACN).- Catalan ‘El Celler de Can Roca’, the ‘best restaurant in the world’ according to Restaurant magazine, will temporarily close its doors in  August 2014 to take a tour in Mexico, Colombia and Peru. The Roca brothers –Joan (Main Chef), Josep (Sommelier) and Jordi (Dessert Chef) - have decided to take this ‘Roca & Roll World Tour 2014’ to “renew” the “illusion” and give “new impetus” to the “creative work” of everyone involved in the iconic three-Michelin-stars restaurant, located in Girona (North-eastern Catalonia). The tour will also “promote culinary talent” in Central and South-America thanks to a unique “adventure” the three brothers have named ‘Haute cuisine with values ​​’. With this latest initiative, Catalan cuisine has once again asserted its position as a reference in the world. The Roca brothers will introduce their innovative, ‘emotional’ and creative cuisine on a new continent thanks to this one-of-a-kind culinary tour. The announcement occurred only a few weeks after Michelin stated that all the awarded restaurants in Catalonia had successfully retained their stars.   

The Roca brothers announced the news on their blog on Monday evening. They explained they had received “numerous proposals” in recent years, encouraging them to offer “a recreation of El Celler de Can Roca” in other parts of the world. Such interest had greatly “flattered” them and prompted the three brothers to “reflect on their future”. However, according to Joan, Josep and Jordi Roca, in order to truly “understand and experience the restaurant, it would make no sense to open another [Celler de Can Roca] far away from Girona”, their home town.

Nevertheless, the chefs have also stated they refused to “give up exploring new horizons, new products and meet people from other places” to help them “continue to grow professionally”, “renew” the  “illusion” and provide “impetus” to the “creative work” of everyone involved in the restaurant. The South-American route aims to “contribute to promoting culinary talent” and the “work of local producers” in the areas they will visit. With this experience the Roca brothers also intend to increase their own knowledge of products and cooking techniques. The tour will be carried out in August 2014, in Mexico, Colombia and Peru. This one-of-a-kind adventure will be named ‘Haute cuisine with values’.

Offering the innovative and ‘emotional cuisine’ outside of Girona

This is why they have decided that “the actual ‘Celler’, with all its equipment, would undertake a summer tour to provide people from all around the world with the opportunity to enjoy the experience” they offer in Girona during the rest of the year. Earlier this year, ‘El Celler de Can Roca’ was deemed ‘best restaurant in the world’, by Restaurant magazine, the most prestigious international publication establishing such rankings. The Catalan restaurant had already been in second place in 2011 and 2012.

Starting out as a family restaurant, the Roca brothers have followed in the steps of other innovative Catalan Chefs such as Ferran Adrià. Adrià became famous for his molecular cuisine and for constantly pushing the boundaries of modern gastronomy in his ‘El Bulli’ restaurant. This other Catalan establishment was named ‘best restaurant in the world’ on five occasions and Adrià the ‘best chef of the decade’. In a similar fashion, the Roca brothers have sought to develop a whole new approach to cooking, using the five senses and creating true pieces of art. According to Restaurant magazine, ‘El Celler de Can Roca’ offers an “emotional cuisine”, “combining traditional Catalan dishes with innovative techniques”.