El Bull - The History of a Dream

In 1956, the Schilling family buys some land in the Montjoi Cove. In 1963, El Bulli takes its first steps as a restaurant business. In 1981, Juli Soler takes over the position of director. Two years later, Ferran Adrià joins as a stager.

Ferran Adrià remains as the only chef in 1987. That year, he decides to step away from the cookbooks and pursue his own style. He finds it by taking inspiration in the traditional cuisine in his environment, its products, cooking techniques, sauces, and garnishes.

After a few years of autochthonous-based cuisine, a more personal style started making way. This path was bond to avant-garde cuisine and to the intention of conquering absolute creative freedom. The first creative processes are born. The structure of the menu highlights the appearance of the tapas and the change of the dessert cart in favor of plated desserts.

The technical and conceptual research begins, which is probably the most important turning point for El Bulli. Ferran Adrià and his team point towards the research of new techniques, concepts and executions that would lead to a vast number of recipes. The settlement of the sweet-and-salty symbiosis takes place, along with the birth of the deconstruction and minimalism.

El Bulli earns its third Michelin star. In the technical and conceptual research field, a new caramelisation technique is found, leading to the development of new pastries, warm gelatin, warm foams and iced powder.

Investing in creativity yields results. A permanent workshop is founded in Barcelona. Later, they open Bullicarmen, el Bulli's business HQ. Also, the menu is eliminated, leaving the tasting menu as the sole option. In the kitchen, a new breading is developed and CO2 siphons are used to create carbonated beverages.

El Bulli offers a huge variety of new concepts, techniques and executions: air foams, spherification, liquid nitrogen, cru technique and freeze-drying. Morphings are shown on the menu, while the industrial design contribution focuses on the kitchen and the table.

This period is highlighted by the starring of Ferran Adrià in the Documenta12 art showcase. In 2007, the unifying thread along El Bulli's history since the late fifties broke: Marketta Schilling, the founder of the restaurant, dies at age 87.

Filming of an entire day, following cooks, waiters and diners, from dawn until the last customer decides to leave. This depicts in the most realistic image how this restaurant in Roses works on a daily basis.

There is a wide consensus about El Bulli and Ferran in many fields, not only in the culinary world. Along with several awards from Restaurant Magazine, they receive design awards and honoris causa degrees. Ferran Adrià goes on a world tour for the presentation of his book "A Day at El Bulli." The Alicia Foundation is created.

The last two years at El Bulli restaurant. Ferran and Juli decide to transform El Bulli and announce in Madrid Fusión 2010 the closure of El Bulli restaurante with the purpose of taking some time to reflect on how they will reopen it in 2014 as a creative center. Albert Adrià decides to start his own new challenge in Barcelona.

The 30th of July 2011, El Bulli - five-time winner of the World's Best Restaurant award - shut its doors to be transformed, in 2014, into a Foundation. Its chef, Ferran Adrià, organized one last and spectacular dinner surrounded by those that are now the best chefs in the world.

The exposition promoted by Palau Robert about the history of El Bulli restaurante makes us reconsider the initial project to expand the future Foundation's mission to preserve the essence and legacy of El Bulli. El Bulli's universe, Ferran Adrià, Juli Soler, Albert Adrià continue expanding the myth and manage to transcend the gastronomy world towards the world of innovation.

After three years of work, El Bulli foundation achieves its goals based on three pillars: Sapiens (El Bulli foundation methodology), La Bulli grafía (visitable archive) and El Bulli 1846 (a place in Cala Montjoi to study and explore the efficiency of the creative process).

It collects the testimony of artists, museum directors and curators that for the first time reflect on the place of avant-garde cuisine in the world of modern art.