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If one walks through Toledo and talks to one of his countrymen, the name of Iván Cerdeño (42) usually comes out soon.

And it is that bowling, as the inhabitants of that province are called on many occasions in a burlesque way, are not at all.

Chef Iván Cerdeño has placed Toledo at the top of Spanish gastronomy.

This very week he has won the

three Suns of the Repsol Guide

and got the second Michelin star just a few months ago.

His cuisine, moreover, takes place outside the walls of Toledo and on the banks of the Tagus, in the Cigarral del Santo Ángel Custodio.

He has been with the restaurant open for ten years and three in the Cigarral, from which it does not seem that he is going to move given the latest recognitions that he has obtained.

Iván is from Mocejón, a town in Toledo where he grew up and lived until he went to study at the School of Hospitality in Toledo.

"I left home early and went to different restaurants. Joan Roca, Koldo Rodero and

Pepe Rodríguez

are the chefs who have marked and taught me the most. Afterwards I have learned a lot from my mother, she has instilled in me a passion for my work, for the job That is as important as learning to cook," he confesses to LOC.

Precisely his mother ran a bar in Mocejón for 35 years and his grandmothers previously had a churrería with pastry where milk was also sold.

"They marked and guided me. In the end, the son of a musician is accustomed to recognizing sounds and melodies.

In my case, they are smells and tastes."

Cerdeño speaks with the accent and simplicity of the Tagus area but without ceasing to feel proud of what, despite the redundancy, is cooking in the capital of Castilla-La Mancha and throughout the community.

"We have great chefs throughout the province. Not only Pepe Rodríguez or Carlos Maldonado, but then

there are a lot of chefs who may not have had that recognition

but who make fantastic cuisine. There is a very good quarry and they pull very car good".

For example, Javier Sanz and Juan Sahuquillo, the chefs behind Cañitas Maite, a gastronomic space located in Casas Ibáñez, a town in Albacete.

"They are some guys who are doing phenomenal and there are people who really want to make a kitchen of the territory,

Iván in the Cigarral del Santo Ángel CustodioCedida

Some of the dishes in Iván's kitchen taste like "Toledo".

On its menu there are delicacies such as the asadillo, the game cake, the piñonada or the sardine and red partridge.

"Toledan and Castilian-La Mancha cuisine is also based on an excellent product: vegetables from the banks of the Tagus, game meat, etc. Pineapple and pine nuts, although they may not seem like it, are a luxury."

He acknowledges, however, that he continues to enjoy the usual dishes of traditional cuisine.

"Today I just came from eating some partridges.

They are compatible kitchens and there are days for everything".

In Iván's team there are 28 people that he keeps mentioning in the conversation.

He considers that it is the key for things to work and go well.

"The team is young and has grown with us.

It makes me feel comfortable and calm, they are a second family

and a good work environment is essential. There are days when they pull the cart and take responsibility for everything".

FAMILY

Regarding his personal life, Iván Cerdeño is married and has three children.

Annika García-Escudero, his wife, is also involved in the project and they are the perfect tandem.

"We have a lot of work. Not only the restaurant but everything that surrounds it.

I have three children and obviously I love being with them.

I try to find a balance. I like to rest with my family and live."

Although they are still young, Iván does not opt ​​for his children to follow in his footsteps.

"Let them do whatever they want. I'm happy at my job and they have my support in whatever they decide.

If they decide to be chefs, then I'll have to work for a few more years."

Iván is delighted to be able to cook at El Cigarral, which he

points out as "one more monument in the city"

and from which he will continue to make people talk.

One of his regular customers confesses that he is Gregorio Marañón, although he adds that everyone who comes to his restaurant is special to him.

With two Michelin stars, the third is on the horizon.

"We have to keep working to make it better every day."

Dabiz Muñoz's three Michelin stars raised the price of his menu and sparked controversy.

"Everyone at home knows what they have to charge.

The kitchen of Dabiz or Joan Roca is worth that and much more. In the end, if we want to advance in all senses in gastronomy, one of them is to pay the price that it is worth".

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  • Toledo

  • Albacete

  • Castilla la Mancha

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