Contents
Joan Roca
Leading the kitchen at El Celler de Can Roca, twice named the world’s best restaurant.
Sous-Vide Cuisine · My Mother’s Cooking
- Born
- 11 February 1964
- Birthplace
- Girona, Spain
More people
Joan Roca
Catalan chef who combines family cooking traditions with precise contemporary techniques. At El Celler de Can Roca, he works alongside his brothers Josep and Jordi.
Early life
A family restaurant
Grew up around Can Roca, the restaurant run by his parents.
Formal training
Studied at Girona’s catering school, where he later taught.
Career
- 1986
Opening El Celler
Opened a restaurant with his brother Josep beside the family business.
- 1990s
Technique and experimentation
Developed his cooking through research, restaurant visits and work on low-temperature methods.
- 2007–2015
International prominence
Moved El Celler to larger premises; the restaurant gained its third Michelin star and twice topped the World’s 50 Best list.
Food & writing
Sous-Vide Cuisine
A book with Salvador Brugués on controlled low-temperature cooking.
My Mother’s Cooking
A collection of traditional recipes paying tribute to Montserrat Fontané.
El Celler de Can Roca
A book documenting the brothers’ restaurant and creative approach.
Beyond the kitchen
Three complementary roles
Joan leads savoury cooking, Josep specializes in wine, and Jordi in pastry.
Food and development
The brothers became UN Development Programme goodwill ambassadors in 2016.
Sources & photo credit
Biography and references ↗Institutional biography and career ↗Photo: Vadorgarbos. CC BY-SA 3.0 · Original image. Cropped and displayed in monochrome.
