«It is difficult for women to give ourselves importance, even to call ourselves chefs» | The truth

As soon as she was appointed, she said that she wanted to promote gastronomy “beyond the stars”, what were you referring to?

Nowadays everything goes very fast, the lists and awards are getting out of hand. In this sector, the most important thing is the people, the strength that each person has for themselves, regardless of what the guides may say. An organization like Eurotoques must be above lists or stars and offer opportunities for everyone. Even in the future we can have someone as president who doesn't have any stars, why not? That's how most of the profession is.

How do you get along with this very competitive reward system?

Since the pandemic my attitude has changed a lot. I have always been very serious in my work but before I focused all that effort on getting a reward. I was in all the pools for the second star in '19 and I was disappointed when they didn't give it to me, I'm not going to deny it. But then I realized that's not what makes me happy. What fulfills me is spending time with my family, being comfortable with my team, working well with the client so that they come back… If the stars come later, let them come, but for me it is no longer important, I refuse to spend my life running after the carrot.

If you could talk to your 20-year-old self, when you were taking your first steps in the profession, what would you say?

I would tell him that you have to enjoy it more, that you have to believe things and be aware when you live them. I have had hard moments, of being overwhelmed, of doubting if she was doing it right. Over time you realize that it wasn't that big of a deal, that you have to be patient and do things right. Being good people, everything comes. And I have come much further than I had imagined. Right now I notice a very special affection and respect from my professional colleagues that excites me more than all the awards. And succeeding Juan Mari Arzak, Pedro Subijana and Andoni Luis Aduriz is already incredible.

It is the first time that the position is held by a professional from outside the Basque Country, but there is a lot of Basque cuisine in his training.

Passing through Hilario Arbelaitz's kitchen left an impression on me. What he is like, how he arrives first and leaves last, how he manages each service, how the entire profession respects him… It was a school, also humanly. I owe a lot of who I am to him and even when a problem arises I think, what would Hilario do? I recently asked him: is it worth being in the kitchen so much? 'No, Maca, no', he told me. He has dedicated his entire life to the profession and now that he has retired, it is a pleasure to see him enjoying life.

One of the union's most pressing problems is forming teams that last. Why does it cost so much?

I think we have not known how to manage ourselves well. When you offer a financial reward for their effort and reasonable schedules, the teams last longer, it's that simple. An event would be needed, not to tell what we cook, but how we manage business, because sometimes we are a little lost. It is not a problem that young people are lazier, not at all, in fact a very powerful generation of professionals is coming.

We reached the end of the interview without mentioning that she is the first female president. Do you consider this an important fact?

It's something that bothered me a priori, I've always tried to avoid questions about it because I don't want to be where I am just because I'm a woman. But I have also realized that it is difficult for us women to give ourselves importance, to put ourselves in the place we deserve, even to call ourselves chefs. We give less value to triumphs, to competitiveness. There will be cases, of course, but the percentage is much lower than in men. I have always preferred to go unnoticed, but I have realized that we have to take steps so that others can follow. When I started there was only Carme Ruscalleda as a reference in haute cuisine and now there are 20 women with stars.