El Bulli is to become a non-profit foundation when it reopens in 2014 after two years of planned closure from 2012, ending weeks of speculation about the iconic restaurant’s future.
Spanish celebrity chef Ferran Adria said that the restaurant would become a “foundation for avant-garde gastronomy lovers” and “a breeding ground for new ideas and new talents”.
A statement outlining the objectives of the private foundation said the plan was to create a “think-tank of gastronomic creativity” working alongside other disciplines such as design, art and creative communication.
Any learning from the project will be circulated in books and on the internet with the long term aim of creating an encyclopaedia of contemporary cuisine.
The announcement comes after speculation that Adria planned to permanently close the three-Michelin starred restaurant. It was claimed that he and his partner, Juli Soler, were losing £435,000 a years on the restaurant and their cooking workshop in Barcelona.
He now plans for “a certain number of customers” to experience the foundation’s cuisine every year from 2014.
Between 20 and 25 scholarships will be granted by the private foundation each year for chefs and other front of house staff following a “demanding and thorough” selection procedure.
Adria told AFP: “The creation of this foundation is another step forward, certainly very significant, in our aim for constant evolution and permanent commitment to creativity.”
He added that the foundation would continue to focus on avant-garde cooking, but could expand into other areas including traditional cuisine, cocktails and breakfasts.
“This is a meal that is traditionally ignored by restaurants but which I am very passionate about,” Adria said.
Under Spanish law a non-profit foundation can receive tax breaks and accept grants.
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By James Stagg
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