Xavier Pellicer

Chef at Healthy Kitchen (Barcelona, Spain)

Convinced that the earth exerts energy on produce and that that influences how it should be cared for, Pellicer has become a staunch believer in applying the laws of biodynamics to the cultivation.

Already very sure about the direction his professional path would take, even at the age of 13, he left for France as soon as he could to learn from the greats, such as Maximin and Dutournier. On his return, he met someone who would change his way of understanding cooking, Santi Santamaría. During his first stint at El Racó de Can Fabes − a restaurant that basically found its path as it went along and was run in a very personal way − he learnt the value of produce when he was head chef.

After seven years at Santamaría’s side, Pellicer decided to embark on a new road − with a hotelier from Barcelona − that led to the creation of Àbac, which he headed for ten years. He then returned to El Racó de Can Fabes, which was rocked from one day to the next by the unexpected death of Santi Santamaría; Pellicer stayed at the helm for another two years.

At the age of 51 he set up his own restaurant, Xavier Pellicer, into which he poured all his love for good produce and his commitment to healthy, balanced food yet without forsaking flavour or gastronomic concepts.