The Roca brothers – Joan, Josep and Jordi – are third generation restaurateurs in their family who had a dream to start a new venture of their own. Their restaurant, Celler de Can Roca has been a great success, earning three Michelin stars and was named best restaurant in the world in 2013 and 2015. While each of their crafts are different – Joan the chef, Josep the sommelier, and Jordi the pastry chef – the main ingredients for their success are the same: quality and sustainability that puts a premium on people and the planet. 

"We want to achieve harmony through economic, social and environmental balance,” says Joan Roca. “That means supporting carefully selected, excellent local products and promoting healthy habits through healthy eating.” 

Driven by this philosophy, Celler de Can Roca, in collaboration with BBVA bank, launched Sustainable Gastronomy at the beginning of the pandemic. The idea is simple: supporting small producers and promoting healthy home cooking with local and seasonal products through a monthly recipe and ingredient box designed by the brothers. Selected producers get featured on the initiative’s website, so home cooks can order from them directly in the future and build a relationship with local farmers, fishers and beekeepers.

“We have been the best restaurant in the world and now, thanks to BBVA, we want to be the best restaurant for the world,” says Jordi Roca.

The brothers’ concern with protecting biodiversity and natural resources led to another  project, the documentary Sembrando el Futuro (Seeds for the Future). In it, they embark on a journey to recover extinct flavours and foods while promoting the consumption of local foods that benefit people's health and keep cultural memory and traditions alive. The Roca brothers bring the importance of biodiversity to the forefront of this project and talk to international experts, including the Deputy Secretary Álvaro Toledo of the International Treaty on Plant Genetic Resources for Food and Agriculture, about solutions to protect it and how it contributes to healthy diets, enhances rural livelihoods and strengthens the resilience of people and communities.  

Since 2016, the brothers have also been Goodwill Ambassadors for the United Nations Development Programme (UNDP), using their platform to promote environmentally sustainable agrifood systems that are socially fair and economically inclusive.