Ferran Adrià attended a homage to Santi Santamaria on Monday, 15 years after his death, to close a chapter on their past controversy. At the event inaugurating Sala Santamaria in Tona, Adrià urged that no one reopen a non-existent wound and highlighted family reunification.
Nearly 500 guests gathered on Monday in Tona, Osona, to honor Santi Santamaria, the first Catalan chef to earn three Michelin stars at his Can Fabes restaurant in Sant Celoni. Organized by his son Pau Santamaria, the event inaugurated Sala Santamaria, a space to preserve his legacy of territory-rooted and seasonal cooking, featuring the original kitchen and piano from Can Fabes.
Ferran Adrià, famed for leading the culinary revolution at elBulli, spoke publicly for the first time about his dispute with Santamaria. "Let nothing or no one reopen a wound that doesn't exist," he stated to attendees. He admitted it was "very hard for everyone," but called the controversy "a shit that doesn't exist" blamed on others, stressing: "The important thing is today and the most important thing today is that we have become a family again."
The homage brought together prominent Catalan chefs like Joan Roca, Carme Ruscalleda, the Torres brothers, and Carles Gaig, alongside Spanish professionals such as Elena Arzak and Eneko Atxa. Hosted by La Vanguardia's Cristina Jolonch, Adrià recalled meeting Santamaria in 1984 and years of collaboration. He will also write the prologue for a book on the chef by Jon Sarabia.
In the morning, at Can Jubany, chefs reinterpreted Santamaria's iconic dishes like ravioli de gamba with cep oil or milhojas de papada y trufa for an exclusive family lunch.
