Keannie staged at El Celler de Can Roca in Girona, Spain because it offered the chance to provide her with a set of new tools in the kitchen. This stage also showed her how to gain another level of perseverance, patience and organization.
Various external and internal factors have shaped my journey as a young Latina woman pursuing a career in hospitality and culinary arts. Externally, the rich diversity of the greater NYC area—where I was born, raised, and currently work—has significantly influenced me. Internally, I come from a family with three generations of bakers, an uncle who trained as a chef, and a cherished grandmother who cooked delicious meals for me every weekend during my childhood. My admiration for family-run businesses partly motivated me to stage at El Celler de Can Roca, a world-renowned molecular gastronomy restaurant in Girona, Spain, owned and operated by three chef brothers.
El Celler de Can Roca is located in a beautiful small Spanish town, an hour from Barcelona, across from the Roca brothers’ parents’ restaurant, Can Roca, where the Roca brothers grew up, and were later inspired to create El Celler. I was impressed by how each brother is so highly trained and respected in their respective trade, and how they work together to orchestrate this beautiful Michelin Star restaurant. Thanks to the Ment'or Grant Program, which allows aspiring chefs who may not have the access or resources to once-in-a-lifetime opportunities to expand their training and skills, I had the privilege of experiencing a stage at El Celler de Can Roca.
During my two months at El Celler, I was fortunate enough to experience several service stations. I started at cold production where we would do an assortment of things for all 4 service stations – from cleaning prawns, preparing truffle meringues, breaking down pork legs, picking crab meat and celery roulettes, among other things. After a few weeks, I was moved to hot production where sauces, stocks, and proteins were cooked. Finally, I moved to the cold room (cuarto frio), where we served some of the appetizers and salads. That can include the small bites once you walk into the restaurant, salads and a hot dish as well. This was the hardest station, but I learned the most from this experience.
I was able to hone my ability to focus on details effectively. Throughout my stage, I learned to work with locally sourced ingredients and was introduced to new techniques for breaking down proteins and creating sauces. In addition to acquiring culinary skills and knowledge, I also experienced personal growth. One of my goals was to become more adaptable in both production and service, including managing service in Catalan and Spanish. I’m proud to say I left this experience with greater strength in all these areas.
My time at El Celler has equipped me with valuable tools that I can carry into both my personal and professional life for years to come. It taught me new levels of perseverance, mental organization, and self-patience. Thanks to the Ment'or Grant, I had the opportunity to experience a different culinary environment compared to my current role at a smaller NYC restaurant, both in cuisine and business style.
