The manifesto of Spanish chefs in a TV commercial inviting resistance, and doing our best

The Spanish chefs commercial

42 of the best chefs in Spain look to the horizon and proclaim their dedication to the cause of cooking, a life's work put to the test by the pandemic. It appeals to the emotional sphere of those watching the latest Estrella Damm commercial, simply titled Chefs, and broadcast on Spanish television in the past few days. A minute and twenty seconds of images, significantly set in Cala Montjoi, where Ferran Adrià baptized and developed the visionary experience of El Bulli, which in the spring of 2022––with obvious delays due to the pandemic–– will soon return to welcome guests in its new role as an experimental and didactic centre. Among the first to enter the scene, on the Catalan beach, there's him, Adrià, who, together with Josep Roca and David Munoz, retraces the last year of Spanish and international fine dining: "They're saying that we are in a moment of total change, and that nothing will ever be the same again," explains Adrià, looking into the camera.

The will to do better

In the gaze and intentions of all the protagonists who populate the commercial one after another, however, there is no desire to give up: "This is what we will do––Munoz insists––we will collaborate with the producers, we will continue to seek excellence..." and then "We will carry out research, we will innovate, we will create," echoes Carmen Ruscalleda. And so, each one brings his or her message of professionalism and tenacity: "We will continue to work as we have always done, and we could not do it in any other way" they reiterate one after the other, in a crescendo of intensity. "We will do everything that has led us to be the most highly respected cuisine in the world," explains Albert Adrià, raising the stakes; this is because "cooking is not only our means of livelihood," underlines Joan Roca, "but our way of life," Jordi Roca comments, whispering the most meaningful words of all, with a thread of voice with which he has learned to live in recent times. The commercial was shot at the end of January and directed by Alberto Rodriguez. The chorale speech delivered in favour of the camera by the Spanish chefs (among them there is also the Italian Paolo Casagrande, owner of Lasarte in Barcelona, ​​for Martin Berasategui) is actually a manifesto of the resistance of haute cuisine that can be shared and embraced by colleagues from all over the world, equally unable, for many months now, to do their job as they would like.

The example of the Rocas. A new “normal” restaurant

Dedication and professional approach are the keywords of a heartfelt message destined to be acted upon, as evidenced, for example, by the announcement that the Roca brothers followed up after the commercial by a few days. In the centre of Girona, the Roca family is preparing to inaugurate a new restaurant, Normal, entrusting the leadership of the kitchen to chef Eli Noya, arriving from the Celler de Can Roca brigade. The project, which will start in the spring, is explained by the name: "It will be a normal restaurant, in a normal corner of a normal city," because "the normal can be extraordinary," Josep emphasizes. The menu will therefore offer dishes linked to the family tradition of the Roca house, but reinterpreted in the light of the teachings received by the brothers during their formative years, with a look at France and today's consumption needs. "We want to see the light at the end of the tunnel, continue to be bold and courageous. It is time to follow up on ideas: in the crisis we must always look for an opportunity."

The manifesto of Spanish chefs on TV

We took the necessary measures, and when they asked us, we closed.

They say that we are in a time of total change, and that nothing will ever be the same again. Difficult times are coming.

Well, we will do the following:

we will collaborate with the best producers, we will work from dusk 'til dawn, we will continue to seek excellence, obsessively taking care of every detail, with the highest level of professionalism and dedication.

We will do research, we will innovate, we will create. With enthusiasm and a lot of willpower, always making self-criticism.

Being unconventional, and humble.

That is, we will continue to work just as we always have. Doing the same things that have made us the most respected cuisine in the world.

So we can continue to welcome you into our home, with your friends, your colleagues, your family.

To share, enjoy and discover new things. To take care of the well-being of your body and soul.

Ee couldn't do otherwise, because this is not just a means of livelihood,

but our way of life.