1. Can you tell us something about your background?

I’m from a Valencian family where both my parents cooked traditional dishes to a reasonable standard. However, I was the only one in the family really curious about cooking a wider variety of cuisine from an early age. I loved being in the kitchen more than my mum!

2. How did you get involved in the World of Catering?

I had been cooking for many years at home. After getting divorced, I trained to be a chef to improve my technique. I passed my chef exams at the Hotel Astoria of Valencia.

When i set up my company ‘Catering Aire’ in 2002, it was with my two adult sons helping out at weekends. It started out as just the three of us doing private functions at wealthy people’s homes, for example.

Since then, the company has grown a lot and we do all sorts of catering with a bigger team, including weddings & birthdays & events, all over Spain. We have catered at functions in La Rioja, Zaragoza, Teruel, Cuenca, Madrid and the Valencia Community. We’ve done giant paellas, huge pizzas & tortillas, even a bocadillo that measured 40 meters for 900 customers! We have also catered in Frankfurt in Germany, Naples in Italy and Paris in France.

With an inquisitive mind regarding studying cuisine abroad and how things function overseas, i have been fortunate to have travelled a fair bit and very much enjoyed visiting Switzerland, France, New York on numerous occasions and London too.

3. Can you tell us about your awards?

I have won the Medalla de Oro (Gold medal) as a merit for my work and a ‘Premio Mediterraneo Excelente’ award for my Catering Company in 2014. We also do a television programme called “Cocinando con Estrellas.”

4. Can you tell us about your newish project ‘La Cuina del Chef’?

The restaurant is based in a quiet street in the heart of Valencia. We do all types of paellas, grilled meats & fish dishes with Mediterranean fusions. Some examples include: Curry Mussels with orange, Candied cod with spinach & raisins, Sea bream mille-feuille, Iberian sirloin with wine sauce, Grilled entrecôte with asparagus, Salmon fideuá with cockles, Manchegan gazpacho with rabbit & mushrooms, Black noodles fideuá with allioli and Marinated rib with Parisian potatoes and paprika from La Vera, various croquettes and more…

LA CUINA DEL CHEF
C/ Embajador Vich, 6 (near Plaza Ayuntamiento)
(Zona Centro)
Tel: 960 631 703 / Movil: 693 37 13 75
https://www.facebook.com/lallardelchef/
Menu of the day: 12€ (Tuesday to Thursday)
Menu of the day: 15€ (Friday to Sunday)
Tasting menu: 20€ (Drinks & coffees not included)
Hours: Tuesday-Saturday: 11h-17h / 20h-23h
Sunday: 11h -17h
Closed Mondays