El Bulli to become foundation

Ferran Adrià has put an end to conflicting rumours over the past few weeks with the announcement that from 2014 El Bulli will be transformed into a non-profit private foundation.

The news followed Adrià’s revelation last month that his world famous three-starred Michelin restaurant near Barcelona will close for two years in 2012.

At a press conference held yesterday during the Gastronomy Forum in Santiago de Compostela, Adrià explained that as of 2014 El Bulli will offer scholarships for up to 25 chefs and front of house professionals.

These carefully selected individuals will work alongside the restaurant’s creative team in what Adrià described as “a breeding ground for new ideas and for new talents to go together, hand in hand, even further.”

Although the dining room will remain in its current form, a new audiovisual lounge and library will be added as part of Adrià’s long-term aim to compile “an exhaustive and detailed” encyclopaedia of contemporary cuisine.

The restaurant will continue to welcome “a certain number of customers” each year to taste the kitchen’s creations.

In addition to the avant-garde cuisine for which El Bulli is famous, the foundation will also branch into more traditional cuisine, as well as cocktails and even breakfasts.

Each year the foundation will publish its findings via a series of books, audiovisual productions, internet, chef conferences and gastronomy schools.

Gabriel Savage, 23.02.10