Chefs

Creativity, youth, joy and a huge desire to cook are just a few of the qualities that Juan Pretel has been contributing to gourmet cuisine since he began his career in the kitchen a little more than a decade ago.

This 32-year-old Valencian chef grew up in a family that passed on its love of cooking to him and filled his childhood with pleasant memories around the dinner table. Trained in the restaurant trade in Cheste, after a few years working at several different hotels and restaurants in Eastern Spain, his great passion for cooking led him to set off on an adventure that would take him to Gerona. There he fulfilled one of his dreams by completing his education with an internship at a restaurant where three stars now shine, El Celler de Can Roca. This was in the year of 2010, and his climb to the summit of professional success was only just beginning.

A mere six months after reaching El Celler, the Roca brothers named this young man chef de partie of the cold prep room. At the time, he was just 25 years old. Just one year later, he was able to take advantage of the opportunity to become a chef de partie for fish dishes at Roca Moo, the one-star restaurant at the Hotel Omm and headquarters for the Roca brothers in Barcelona. In just a short time he was promoted to chef de cuisine, a position which he held for twelve months, before taking over as head chef. This is how, by mid-2014, backed by his own dedication, enthusiasm and effort, Juan Pretel took over the top spot at Roca Moo. In this Barcelona restaurant, the chef runs a cutting-edge "technically emotional" kitchen in which high-quality raw materials prepared with creativity play the starring role. Dealing directly with guests in the dining room is one of the things he most enjoys, something made simple by the chef's bar, where he puts the finishing touch on dishes and remains throughout his entire shift.

Today, along with the Roca brothers as his mentors, and with the responsibility entailed by holding a Michelin star, Pretel continues to perform his work with the same drive he had on the very first day.