• MARTA FERNANDEZ GUADANO

Updated Wednesday, 19 January 2022-01:33

  • Share on Facebook

  • Share on Twitter

  • send by email

See 4 comments

Spaces such as the Danish

Noma,

the Chilean

Boragó

or the Galician

Culler de Pau

were on his 'wish list'. But

Javier Sanz

and

Juan Sahuquillo risked

it and returned to Casas-Ibáñez, "a town that has nothing," says the father of the former. 'Nothing' except that this town of Albacete is 'their' town, where they became close friends as children, became fond of cooking and from where they went to Toledo to study hospitality and later work in

Michelin

stars such as

Casa Marcial,

Andreu Genestra , Mugaritz

or

Atrio,

apart from training in management at

Gasma

(culinary campus of the

CEU Cardenal Herrera University

).

Then came "the dilemma: continue learning in other restaurants or give up wisdom to return home, play the trick of being very young and make a small revolution to show your town to the world," argues Javier Sanz.

In the fall of 2019, these chefs born in 1997 settled in Casas-Ibáñez, where the Sanz family runs

Cañitas Maite,

a hotel-restaurant, parent company of

Grupo Cañitas,

a name that comes from the bar opened by the paternal grandfather (Maite is the cook's mother's name).

Sanz and Sahuquillo wanted to give a twist to that format where there is no lack of a menu of the day for 13 euros.

The pandemic did not stop them; in full confinement, they dedicated themselves to rehearsing paellas or croquettes, reading books and documenting ideas. In August 2020, Cañitas Maite began to 'sound'. "That

Miren Cerrato

crossed

their path was crucial; they can be very good, but she was their loudspeaker and the one who scolds them so that it does not go to their heads and they are not a bluff," says

Joaquín Sanz,

Javier's father. "I fight with them because they want the best products or crockery; I make it difficult for them. They are stubborn, maniacs, perfectionists, hard workers and very serious," he adds.

Cerrato, an expert in gastronomic communication, brought Cañitas closer to the specialized press, which gave them visibility. The clientele multiplied. On the ground floor of the hotel, Cañitas Maite was divided into two menus: one 'for the bar', more 'casual', and the other 'for products', where the mastery of haute cuisine by these 24-year-old chefs, who They also offer a tasting menu for 69.50 euros. "It was a way of escaping from the menu of the day", which was eliminated in the summer of 2021. "We are looking for a flexible concept, open to all audiences, of all ages, so that the customer can spend 30 or 100 euros in the same space and decide which offer you prefer. 95-98% of the tables mix the two cards. In a town of 4,000 inhabitants, we manage to give 650 cutlery a week with an average ticket of 60 euros",detail.

AWARDS RECORD

Disciplined and demanding, Sanz and Sahuquillo practice endless days, supported by a team in their twenties (26 employees in the group), to fulfill their promise to 'make history' at Casas-Ibáñez.

"We have a roadmap; 'currar' is the only formula," says Sahuquillo.

In June 2021, they won a triple award at Madrid Fusión: 'Revelation Chef' -which

Dabiz Muñoz, Ricard Camarena

or

Rodrigo de la Calle,

among others, received when they were beginners years ago-,

'Best Croquette in the World'

and

' Best Pickle',

obtained on the same day of the culinary congress, a record never achieved by any colleague.

"We had to win to show my father that we are serious," says Sanz, aware that family financing is key for this kind of 'startup' that is Grupo Cañitas (which encompasses more businesses such as two other hotels, events or a discotheque).

If, instead of La Manchuela and Valle del Júcar, they were in Napa, it is more than likely that

Silicon Valley

investors would already be investing in the proven talent of this chef duo.

"Economically, we need to work and the prizes have helped. If they want a

'PacoJet'

[device for making sorbets and ice cream], they have to earn it. The added value of the project is that it has to be done with few resources", emphasizes Joaquin Sanz.

The waiting list grew with the awards.

Later, more came (such as inclusion in guides such as

Michelin

or

Repsol

and the

'Young Talent' Gourmet Award from '

Fuera de Serie

' magazine

).

OBJECTIVE 2022: OBA

But, in 2021, Sanz and Sahuquillo were only warming up for their most ambitious project:

Oba,

a haute cuisine space that opens on January 18 on the top floor of Cañitas Maite. On January 10, they opened reservations until February included; They are already beginning to fill their 4 tables despite the 'sui generis' schedule: they will only open from Tuesday to Friday to focus the weekend on the 'lung' that is their restaurant on the ground floor. "We know that Cañitas has to finance Oba for a while," they admit.

Oba will dispatch a single tasting menu of 20 passes for 119 euros (with two pairing options for 59 and 69). "We want to slow down, flee from fashions, the commercial and the everyday, to close the circle; teach the reality of where we are, our valley, and use native breeds, river fish, riverside vegetables, game, wildlife, fermented or ancestral techniques. It is our most personal project that we have been dreaming of for years", explains Javier Sanz.

An arrhythmia forces this young chef to take care of himself, who, like Sahuquillo, works from 8 in the morning to 2 in the morning with an energy as enviable as the enthusiasm and ingenuity they give off. "In Cañitas, we did not want a Michelin star [the French guide has included it as a recommended establishment]; in Oba, we want it as soon as possible," they announce. These chefs - studied haircuts, 'fashionable' beards and 'tattoos' - closed 2021 with the opening of a tavern (

La Taberñita by Cañitas

) with 'take away' (which they already rehearsed in the pandemic). For 2022 they are considering more projects such as one in Ibiza. "Oba is the beginning; the next thing, in a few years, may be a farm-restaurant near the town. We are very ambitious; we want to fight to be on the list '

The World's 50 Best

'.

And, for that, it's just about working, working and working," they promise.

Conforms to The Trust Project criteria

Know more

See links of interest

  • Last News

  • Work calendar 2022

  • Home THE WORLD today

  • Economy Podcast

  • How to do

  • Check Christmas Lottery 2021

  • Check Child's Lottery

  • Coronavirus

  • Real Betis - Alaves

  • Cadiz - Espanyol