Why cooking is caring: Joan Roca on the philosophy of family in restaurants

Giulia Sgarbi - 13/07/2017

Header images: Joan Roca on stage at #50BestTalks and with his brothers Jordi (left) and Josep (right)

In the second of our #50BestTalks: Food Forward series, Joan Roca of El Celler de Can Roca talks about the philosophy of family in the restaurant business.


With great achievement comes huge responsibility, and for Joan Roca, chef-owner of one of The World's 50 Best Restaurants (No.1 in 2013 and 2015), the challenge is finding a way to humanise the cooking profession. The chef in the formidable three-brother team behind El Celler de Can Roca in Girona, Spain, is calling for more humane and sustainable practices in the kitchen.

Roca spoke at the #50BestTalks: Food Forward event in Barcelona, part of the celebrations for The World’s 50 Best Restaurants 15th Anniversary, presented by Miele. He explained El Celler de Can Roca’s own efforts to improve the team’s work-life balance and spoke about future plans for him and his brothers, Josep and Jordi.

Watch Roca’s full speech on the importance of caring for the team, the brothers’ work as UN ambassadors and their plans to open a chocolate factory:


Subscribe to The World’s 50 Best Restaurants on YouTube for full speeches from Daniel Humm and Will Guidara of Eleven Madison Park, Massimo Bottura of Osteria Francescana, René Redzepi of Noma and Ferran Adrià of El Bulli, coming soon.

With special thanks to our presenting partner, Miele, and our event partners Estrella Damm, S.Pellegrino & Acqua Panna, Lavazza, Bodega Garzón, Ron Zacapa, Johnnie Walker Blue Label, Seedlip, Sosa, Cinco Jotas and W Barcelona.