52 Shining Stars

26 May 2014
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3 min read
Be excited! A 52 Michelin Starred tapas feast is bringing Spain’s finest chefs together for UNICEF and 20 years of Hotel Arts Barcelona for one night only on June 12th…

This one-off galaeventwill be held in Barcelona’s most iconic hotel with over 20 acclaimed chefs and an exclusive package for passionate gourmands.

Hotel Arts Barcelona havejoined forces with UNICEF this June to celebrate its 20thanniversary with aEstrellas Solidarias– a night with Spain’s greatest gastronomicstars- with a combined52Michelinstarsbetween them.

Led by acclaimed chefPacoPerezof the hotel’s own two Michelin starred Enoteca restaurant, Thursday 12thJune will see the hottest chefs in the country coming together to prepare atapasfeast in the gardens of the hotel. Globally respected names including Albert Adria, Joan Roca, , and Marc Gascons will each cook a favouritetapasdish from a cooking station for guests to try in the hotel’s beautiful gardens, shadowed by the iconic Frank Gehry ‘Peix’ sculpture. Proceeds will go to UNICEF Spain, one of Hotel Arts Barcelona’s key long-term partners in its Community Footprint actions.

This celebration of Spain’s gastronomic excellence will begin with a drinks reception serving Cava and Catalan wines courtesy of Castillo Perelada, where guests will have the opportunity to bid in the auction for a chef white, signed by all chefs in attendance and with proceeds donated to UNICEF. Following the auction, guests will journey their way from stand to stand, meeting the acclaimed chefs and sampling the delicious flavours of Spain cooked before their eyes. There will be live music and theeventwill finish with a spectacular dessert creation by Hotel Arts Barcelona pastry chef Sylvain Guyez.

For those that want to celebrate with the hotel and experience this uniqueevent, Hotel Arts has created an ‘Exclusive Experience’ package for the Royale and Presidential suites – the hotel’s most prestigious apartments located on the 42ndfloor. In addition to tickets to the UNICEF galaevent, the package also includes behind the scenes access, interacting with the chefs as they prepare their signature dish, as well as preferred reservation and VIP access for one year in the restaurants of Albert Adria andPacoPerez. The ‘Exclusive Experience’ package is available for €20,000 per suite, with proceeds donated to UNICEF.

Chefs in attendance
  • AlbertAdrià, 2 Michelinstars
  • Dani Garcia, 2 Michelinstars
  • Nacho Manzano, 2 Michelinstars
  • Pepe Solla, 1 Michelinstar
  • MartinBerasategui, 7 Michelinstars
  • Joan Roca, 4 Michelinstars
  • PacoRoncero, 2 Michelinstars
  • Marc Gascons, 1 Michelinstar
  • Fina Puigdevall, 2 Michelinstars
  • Jordi Junca, 1 Michelinstar
  • Andoni Luis Aduriz, 1 Michelinstar
  • Francis Paniego, 2 Michelinstars
  • Albert Raurich, 1 Michelinstar
  • Carles Abellan, 1 Michelinstar
  • Quique Dacosta, 4 Michelinstars
  • Eneko Atxa, 3 Michelinstars
  • Angel Leon, 1 Michelinstar
  • PacoMorales, 1 Michelinstar
  • Diego Guerrero, 1 Michelinstar
  • Josean Alija, 1 Michelinstar
  • PacoPerez, 5 Michelinstars
  • Carme Ruscadella, 7 Michelin stars

Paco Perez on FOUR

Describe your culinary philosophy in 5 words…

Generosity, humility, consistency, passion, work.

What is your greatest inspiration?

My family

How will you demonstrate your philosophy at Estrellas Solidarias?

The key word for the event is sharing.Cooking with a group of 20 friends, for all the children of UNICEF, will be a fantastic moment to share. It will simply reflect who we are as a group.

What is the aim of the event?

The objective is to create a unique culinary event to raise funds for UNICEF, join forces with some of the best Spanish chefs to combine our creations into one very unique menu, (never done before), and share them with a few select diners. We are also gathered to celebrate the 20thanniversary of Hotel Arts Barcelona, an emblematic hotel for the city of Barcelona.

What will your tapas dish be?

Vegetable Gnocchi with Langoustine and its American Sauce

With 52 Michelin stars in one location, how do you think that all the chefs will come together for this event?

Like brothers, like friends. Like a family really.

Will there be many avant-garde techniques being show off, or will traditional techniques be key?

Almost all the chefs at the event have gone through the kitchens of El Bulli, the Spanish culinary scene is very much inspired by avant-garde techniques today, but every single chef has developed his own signature and identity. This dinner will really be unique in taste, in creativity, and in history. For us there is no cuisine without avant-garde (our culinary identity would not exist without avant-garde), but there is no creation without precision and technique.

​If you could plan a ride to any restaurantin the world, just for one meal, where would you go?

It doesn’t matter where I go, as long as I can share this moment with someone dear.

What three things would you take to a desert island?

Water, Fire and a parasol.

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