He has spent the Sundays of his childhood running around the kitchen. It wasn't just any kitchen, it was that of the Celler de Can Roca (Girona). With this background, where everything revolved around what was twice the best restaurant in the world, Marc Roca, son of Joan Roca, felt a certain pressure, from an early age from those around him, to continue down this path. “But never from my father,” he clarifies. “I saw my father leave home at 8 in the morning and return at 12 in the morning and he thought: 'Who is going to want to be a cook?' Like his son, he only saw the difficult part, of not having him around. Today, I understand why he was so fascinated by cooking. But I know it is possible to find a balance.” He tries to look for it now that he has decided to follow in the father's footsteps.
Gastronomy is an area where succession plays a fundamental role. Many restaurants that stay open over years (or decades, in some cases) are run for generations as family businesses. However, in the case of haute cuisine, more than the assets of a company, the creative legacy of families is crucial: something that is also maintained thanks to committed successors.
At a time when chefs have emerged from the shadows of kitchens to achieve fame, and the profession has become more attractive, more and more sons and daughters of chefs are showing interest in following in their parents' footsteps instead of opting for careers. conventional, as did figures such as Elena Arzak (Arzak), Marcos Morán (Casa Gerardo), and Pepe Solla (Casa Solla). Now, a new generation of young people aspires to continue the family tradition in the kitchen, as demonstrated by Javier Roncero (son of Paco Roncero), Joseba Arguiñano (son of Karlos Arguiñano), and even Alex Adrià, who will join his father, Albert, in the Enigma kitchen this summer. “I am very happy to be able to be with him at Enigma,” says the proud father.
At El Celler de Can Roca, in Girona, the sons of Joan and Josep Roca have decided to continue the family legacy and are now an integral part of the restaurant's award-winning team: Marc, 27, and Martí Roca, 24, play roles as heads of departure in the bustling Catalan kitchen. This path would be natural in a family where the three children (in addition to the two brothers, also Jordi, a pastry chef) followed in the footsteps of their parents, who founded Can Roca, a renowned restaurant in the city, in 1967. “But I must confess that it was a surprise when, during a family vacation about five years ago, Marc suddenly revealed to us his desire to be a chef. “I think his interest in the profession was awakened during a world tour with El Celler, in which he accompanied us,” says Joan.
From then on, Marc spent time at his grandmother's restaurant, then interned at other places in Girona (including Mas Marroch, also owned by the family) and at chef Dan Barber's Blue Hill at Stone Barns, before join El Celler de Can Roca. “We seek to be very professional, because he is in a work context and under the role of his head chef. There are many chefs working with us, all aware of the importance of earning the place and respect of their colleagues,” he adds. For Joan, however, it is exciting to see his son and nephew interested in continuing the restaurant's legacy.
“We have created El Celler thinking about the three of us, but then there is a moment when you think that it would be nice if there was some continuity. With them that will have a different perspective, they will build the path to the restaurant in their own way and that is beautiful,” he says. For Joan, the two are much better qualified than him and his brothers and perhaps, because of the studies they have – Marc studied Political Science, while Martí graduated in Business Administration and Management -, they can prioritize even more “management, efficiency , that in the end the restaurant remains committed to excellence, but focusing on economic sustainability,” he adds. The son understands the generational change in the way he looks at his career in and out of the kitchen. “I love my job, but I try to separate it a lot from my personal life and dedicate time to it. It is something that I value a lot, like most people of my generation,” he concludes.
Like his cousin, Martí says he also feels an enormous responsibility for being at El Celler, but at the same time he gets along very well, because in the end the restaurant is also “his home.” “We try to learn a lot from them, listen to them a lot and pay attention to them,” he says. Carrying forward the legacy of the Roca family seems to be the most challenging part, “no matter how good my cousin and I are,” he acknowledges. Although he is focused on the kitchen for now and is not thinking much about the future, he is aware of the need to chart his own path, recognizing that what the three brothers achieved is unique and unrepeatable, and that it will be up to them to create their own. trajectory. “We will do things our way, trying to carry the name of the restaurant and the group forward.”
For Josep Roca, the sommelier and front of house manager, “it is strange, beautiful and endearing,” to see his son and nephew creating new realities for the restaurant. “Last year we had proposed that we would continue only for 10 more years. But both Marc and Martí told us that they wanted to continue. We still don't know how they will do it, but it is gratifying to see them committed to the kitchen and the restaurant,” he told El País while on his way to see them for the first time on stage at the Girona Gastronomic Forum along with other young chefs.
There are examples of success in preserving a gastronomic legacy over decades, from more traditional restaurants to haute cuisine, in Spain, and also around the world. But few families have done it as well as the Troisgros. Pierre and Jean Troisgros took the reins of L'Hôtel Moderne from their parents in Roanne and founded Les Frères Troisgros, also known as Maison Troisgros, which later became the epicenter of one of the most significant movements that transformed modern gastronomy: the nouvelle cuisine. Today, the fourth generation continues to carry the name of this emblematic family not only in France, but also in Brazil.
Thomas Troisgros, Pierre's grandson, has just opened Oseille, a small fine dining restaurant in Rio de Janeiro, his first haute cuisine project after having closed Olympe, a restaurant originally opened by his father, Claude. “Oseille reflects a lot of my family's history, especially in the care of the ingredients and the philosophy behind the dishes. Although I think about the legacy that I am continuing, I believe that I have overcome the pressure associated with my last name, something important to be able to continue my trajectory,” he says.
Troisgros mentions that his father visited the restaurant two weeks ago and “was delighted with everything, he didn't suggest any changes.” “We talk a lot, we share a lot of experiences, but he respects the path I choose to follow in my career. This is crucial for our relationship,” he notes. To preserve the legacy of restaurants and families, it is crucial to evolve and adapt over time, incorporating the different visions that new generations bring. It is difficult to conceive that many family dining establishments would have endured for decades without adjusting to the demands of the time, thanks to the innovative perspectives of their successors.
Since the pandemic, Japanese chef Yoshihiro Narisawa has had a familiar apprentice in the kitchen of his eponymous restaurant: his 24-year-old son Leo. “My son grew up watching this restaurant from an early age and I always hoped that one day he would be in the kitchen with me and learn the trade,” says the chef. “In the kitchen, there is no father-son relationship, nor do I give him special treatment,” he says. In Japan, a very traditional culture, Leo is one of many apprentice chefs who will only be ready to cook after years of dedication. But Narisawa wants to prepare it in the best way.
However, he emphasizes that cooking is only one part of the job and that it is always necessary to properly understand and satisfy customer requests. Also, according to him, it is essential to respect the connection with the producers and the people they work with, something that Narisawa is trying to convey to Leo. “Being an owner and chef may seem glamorous, but I want him to see the whole restaurant, not just one part, and learn everything he needs to know if he wants to carry this legacy forward,” he adds.
Something that Elena Arzak learned after decades alongside her father, Juan Mari Arzak, in the three-star restaurant of the same name that the family runs in San Sebastián. “The first thing I learned from my father was the importance of being convinced of what you are doing, from the tireless search for excellent raw materials to believing in and valuing your teams,” she says. Maintaining the same values was crucial for a smooth and gradual transition. “We have not been in a hurry, so it has been a very interesting journey. I got on a train where it was already full, but my father has always said that you had to listen and you must always listen to young people,” she points out.
According to Elena, she has always had the autonomy to make some transformations — such as simplifying elements in a dish, adding techniques or suggesting new ways of cooking — due to the respect she earned in the kitchen from Juan Mari and colleagues. She sought to follow in her father's footsteps, but updating herself. “At Arzak we have always been curious about what is new, interested in innovation, without forgetting our roots, and carrying forward our history,” she says.
However, the chef notes that she will likely be the last in the Arzak family succession, as none of her children have shown interest in continuing in the kitchen or in management. “This is a profession that cannot be forced,” she emphasizes. “I prefer to be last and finish well rather than force someone. And that would never work,” she concludes.
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