Ferran Adrià is optimistic about the future of El Bulli

The announcement in the New York Times last week that chef Ferran Adrià would permanently close El Bulli, the restaurant many consider the world’s best, at the end of 2011 came as a shock. Previously, the chef said the 15-hour days were getting to him and that he would take a sabbatical in 2012 and reopen two years later. Adrià is now saying that his words were misinterpreted. “To say that El Bulli is ‘to close permanently,’” he told the Times in a follow-up interview, “implies that El Bulli will cease to have any activity after 2012, and that is not the case.’’

The Wall Street Journal is reporting that Adrià hopes to replace El Bulli, which is situated on Spain’s Catalonian coast, with a non-profit foundation for advanced culinary study for 25 professionals, with scholarships awarded to the world’s most talented cooks. Although no decision has been made on the structure of the foundation, Adrià says (for now) that it will involve cooking and serving food to the public.

• El Bulli to close permanently [New York Times]
• When chefs burn out in the kitchen [Globe and Mail]
• Adrià Elaborates on El Bulli’s Future [New York Times]
• The End of El Bulli? [Wall Street Journal]
• Ferran Adrià moves on: world’s most revered restaurant finds a new role [The Guardian]