El Celler de Can Roca ascended to legend status by ‘The World’s 50 Best’
The World’s 50 Best organization, which every year publishes the list of the world’s best dining destinations, has announced that, as of next year, all restaurants taking the top spot in past editions - including El Celler de Can Roca, named world’s best in 2013 and 2015 - will be ascended to a new category, named ‘Best of the Best’, and will no longer be eligible for the annual list.
The World’s 50 Best organization has announced a major changes to its voting process for the year ahead, including the creation of a Hall of fame into which winners of past editions will be promoted. El Celler de Can Roca is one of the seven restaurants that will be inducted into this new category, and will no longer be eligible for inclusion in further editions of the The World’s 50 Best list.
A change that chefs had been advocating for a long time. “We are all in this craft because we fell in love with it, not to compete against each other. Rivalry can be left aside without giving up on excellence,” said the Roca brothers after learning about the organization’s decision.
With this initiative, the organization pays homage to its all-time greats, while clearing the top spots for new candidates. Best of the best inductees will remain linked to the organization and mentor new generations. “We will remain actively involved in the award ceremonies, participate in workshops, master classes and global projects, and we will nominate a new award, the Icon Award,” explain the Roca brothers.
Jordi, Joan y Josep Roca during BBVA Tour 2015 - BBVA
The World’s 50 Best 2019 ceremony will be hosted in Singapore. The winner of the 50 Best BBVA Scholarship will be announced during this event. The recipient will be invited to complete a traineeship program that includes work placements in the kitchens of Odette, in Singapore; Core by Clare Smyth, in London; and Quintonil, in Mexico City.
The Culinary Olympus
El Celler de Can Roca was first voted the world’s best restaurant in 2013, and then again in 2015. It has been ranked in the top-three in the past eight editions of the list, and in the top-10 since 2009. Joining El Celler de Can Roca in the 'Best of the Best' category will be El Bulli, The French Laundry, The Fat Duck, Noma (in its original location), Osteria Francescana and Eleven Madison Park.
In the joint statement that they have released, Joan, Josep and Jordi Roca express their gratitude and excitement for being inducted into the “'Best of the Best' group perennially, forever. A recognition that, for us, means even more than taking the top spot in the annual list and for which we want to thank the 50 Best organization, which has given us so much.”
El Celler de Can Roca is still embarked in its tour with BBVA, through which the Roca brothers pay tribute to the local cuisine of the different countries they visit and invite a number of culinary students complete a traineeship at their restaurant. The stops of the 2019 edition of the tour will be announced shortly.