El Bulli to become ‘gastronomic think-tank’

Celebrated restaurant El Bulli is to become a non-profit foundation for ‘avant-garde gastronomy lovers’ when it reopens after a two-year sabbatical in 2014.

The El Bulli Foundation, based at the three Michelin-starred restaurant north of Barcelona, will be a ‘think-tank of gastronomic creativity’ involving chefs, sommeliers and front-of-house professionals.

But who will be permitted to taste their dishes is as yet unclear.

‘The gastronomic creations, the fruit of the works executed by the cooking team at the Foundation, will be able to be tasted every year starting in 2014, during a certain time and by a certain number of clients,’ the restaurant said.

‘We can’t be specific as of now in this matter as we are currently studying the most adequate model for this new operative.’

The Foundation will not be a school, but it will offer 20-25 year-long scholarships annually for chefs and front-of-house professionals, following a ‘demanding and thorough’ selection process.

Among its plans are collaborations with design, art and creative communication, as well as the completion of a ‘great encyclopedia of contemporary cuisine’.

The announcement by chef Ferran Adria ends speculation over the long-term future of the famously over-subscribed restaurant, following the news last month that it would close for two years from 2012.

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Written by Richard Woodard