A few weeks ago, we brought you a post about Ferran and Albert Adrià’s two fabulous new tapas bars in Barcelona, Tickets and 41 degrees. Here, we explain the reason behind the closure of their world-famous restaurant, El Bulli, and the great things Adrià and his team are planning for phase two.
Leaving millions of palates unsatisfied and foodies disappointed around the world, chefs at El Bulli restaurant were hard at work on July 30th, preparing its ‘Ultima Cena’ after 24 years and over 1,200 culinary delights. 45 specially selected guests were treated to a champagne party and 50-course meal, including some of El Bulli’s finest dishes served at the restaurant over the last few years such as flowers in nectar, gooseneck barnacles and caviar truffle cake. Famous for its unique experimental dishes, 3 Michelin stars and chef extraordinaire Ferran Adrià, El Bulli has gained the highest gastronomic accolade of ‘best restaurant in the world’ not once but an incredible five times. So why has El Bulli closed its kitchens for good and can what follows possibly live up to the legend that Adria worked so hard to create?
With only one sitting a day and an annual 6-month period of closure, it comes as no surprise that El Bulli suffered losses of £500,000 Euros a year. With such tremendous costs involved in running the eatery, Adria has decided to turn it into a ‘gastronomic think-tank’, a food foundation that will focus on stretching the boundaries of experimental cooking. Anticipated to open in 2014, the El Bulli Foundation plans to grant between 20 and 25 annual scholarships for budding chefs to work alongside El Bulli’s staff on their new culinary creations for a 12-month period.
In the words of the master himself, ‘El Bulli is not closing. It’s just transforming’. We eagerly await phase two of the El Bulli phenomenon.
