Ferran Adrià

Presentation

14 May, 1962
Ferran Adrià was born in Santa Eulàlia, a neighbourhood of l’Hospitalet de Llobregat, a province of Barcelona. He completed his early studies in Colegio Casal dels Àngels and Colegio de San Isidro in Barcelona. During this time he lived with his parents, Ginés Adrià, Josefa Acosta and his brother Albert. He was a normal kid who had absolutely nothing to do with cooking, that is, he wasn’t a gourmet. His great passion was playing football for Juventud de l’Hospitalet until 1974 and Santa Eulàlia F.C. until 1980.

1983
In August 1983 he had the possibility to receive training in elBulli, where he met the then director, Juli Soler. Not long after he was offered a position as line cook when he finished his military service.

1984
From January to March he worked in the San Marcos de Sevilla Restaurant. In April he began to work in elBulli as a line cook until 1 November, when he became Head Chef along with Christian Lutaud.

1985
From 22 February to 5 March he received training in Blanc de Vonnas, a restaurant in France. Later in the same month Albert Adrià joined elBulli. 

1986
Ferran received training in Pic, a restaurant in Valence, and in October of the same year he became the sole Head Chef of elBulli.

1987 – 30 July 2011
After 1987 he began searching for his own cuisine. From that moment on his life began to be unconditionally linked to the increasing and unanimous recognition that elBulli has earned over time. At the same time, the restaurant became an important reference in world gastronomy, while Ferran Adrià himself has been recognized as one of the greatest chefs in the world.

31 July 2011 - today
With the transformation of elBullirestaurante to elBullifoundation, Ferran Adrià and a dozen members of the elBulli team have launched a creative centre which will serve to analyse the efficiency of creativity through culinary language. Bullipedia has also been created, a codification tool for cuisine, for information and knowledge, as well as inspiration for creativity.

Prizes:

1992
- National Gastonomic Prize to Best Chef, awarded by Academia Nacional de Gastronomía

1994
- Grand Prix de L'Art de la Cuisine, awarded by Academia Internacional de Gastronomía

1996
- Clé d'Or de la Gastronomie, guía Gault-Millau

- Restaurant of the Year, awarded by Club de Gourmets

1997
- Medal for Merit in Tourism in Catalonia, Generalitat de Catalunya

1998
- Metopolis Prize to Innovation, awarded by Metopolis

1999
- Giorgio Fini Prize, Città di Modena

- Best Chef of the Year, Gourmetour

2001
- Ceretto Prize, awarded by Fundación Ceretto

- Humanitat Ciutat de L'Hospitalet, awarded by Ayuntamiento de L'Hospitalet de Llobregat

- FAD Prize, awarded by FAD

- Àngel de Bronze de la Comunicació a Catalunya, Escola Superior de Relacions Públiques de Girona

- Golden Heart, awarded by Fundación Española del Corazón

2002
- Creu de Sant Jordi, awarded by Generalitat de Catalunya

- Gold Medal to Tourist Merit, Gobierno Español

- Medalla d'Or al Mèrit Turístic, Generalitat de Catalunya

- Best Restaurant in the World, The Restaurant Magazine

2003
- Silver Spoon, Food Arts

- Protagonistas Prize in Gastronomic Category, Onda Cero Radio. Luís del Olmo Radio Broadcast

- Català de l'Any 2003, elected by popular vote, under the organization of El Periódico de Catalunya

- Premi Ciutat de Barcelona, Ajuntament de Barcelona

2004
- Ciutat de L'Hospitalet Favorite Son, Ayuntamiento de L'Hospitalet de Llobregat

2005
- Preisträger Ferran Adrià Sektion Grobe Kochkunst, Witzigmann Preis

2006
- Ferran Adrià Prize in recognition of his contribution to the diffusion of Spanish cuisine in the world in the last 20 years, awarded by Spain Gourmetour

- Best Restaurant in the World, The Restaurant Magazine

- III Premio Diálogo a la Amistad Hispano-Francesa, Asociación Diálogo

- Lucky Strike Design Award, Raymond Loewy Foundation

- Madrid Creativity Prize, awarded to Norman Foster, Samuel Keller, Philippe Starck, Guy Laliberté, Sara Baras, Ela Bhatt and Google founders. Awarded by Fundación SEK and Comunidad de Madrid. 

2007
- Best Restaurant in the World, awarded by The Restaurant Magazine

- The White Guide Gastronomy Award, awarded by The White Guide

- European Merit Gold Medal, awarded by Fundación del Mérito Europeo, Comunidad Europea

- Reino de Navarra First Gastronomic International Prize, International Congress on vegetables, Pamplona

- Gold Medal to Fine Arts Merit, awarded by Ministerio de Cultura español

2008
- Best Restaurant in the World, awarded by The Restaurant Magazine

2009
- Best Restaurant in the World, awarded by The Restaurant Magazine

- Best Chef Augie Prize, awarded by Culinary Institute of America

2010
- Best Restaurant of the Decade, awarded by The Restaurant Magazine