Culinary creativity is deeply woven into the DNA of Chef Martín Berasategui. Having grown up surrounded by restaurateurs, a passion for a career in gastronomy was ignited from a young age. Currently boasting 12 Michelin stars: three in the Martín Berasategui Restaurant in Lasarte-Oria; three in the Lasarte Restaurant in Barcelona; two in the M.B. Restaurant in Tenerife, one in the Oria Restaurant in Barcelona, one in Restaurant Ola Martín Berasategui in Bilbao and one in the Etxeko Ibiza Restaurant, to say the chef’s career is peppered with prestigious accolades would be an utter understatement. Here, he talks about cooking, childhood memories and opening new restaurant, Jara by Martín Berasategui, at The Lana hotel in Dubai.

What are your first memories of cooking?
I was born on General Echagüe Street (next to the Old Town of San Sebastian), but the truth is that we were never at home. My parents and my aunt María ran a popular restaurant in our city called Bodegón Alejandro, and that’s where we lived. As soon as I left school, I used to go to the Bodegón which was divided into two dining rooms, one on the left for the public and one on the right (separated by a door), for family and friends. This is where we ate and dined all the time; it was the epicentre of our lives because we only went home to sleep. I am the only one of four brothers who has cooking in my blood. I remember being so very fascinated with the stove preparations at the restaurant and I’m sure that nostalgia for the Bodegón has a lot to do with my vocation.

When did you know you were going to be a chef?
I always knew that I was going to be a chef. It was clear that I wanted to dedicate myself to spreading happiness, because from a very young age that has been a part of my character. I live life with passion and enthusiasm, which is ultimately conveyed through my cooking.

You were sent to France as a pastry chef, how did that experience impact the professional you are today?
Training in France has helped me a lot. Pastry chefs leave little room for error and they usually have everything very measured and calculated. I have brought this discipline to savoury cuisine as I write everything down to the point of obsession and that is how I teach my teams.

For those who are not familiar, please tell us about Basque cuisine?
I can’t exactly define what our cuisine is like, but it’s about the produce and how we do things. There are many ingredients that make ours a particular cuisine, for example as soon as you put something in your mouth, you realise that it has a lot of Basque in it or that it doesn’t have it at all…I just can’t explain it. It has to do with memory, the senses, the smells and with our way of being and living.

Jara by Martín Berasategui is the first-of-its-kind Basque restaurant and bar in Dubai. What can we expect and what’s on the menu?
It is a restaurant with a novel concept for Dubai. Basque cuisine is one of the most recognised in the world and we want to bring our way of interpreting it to the region. We will continue taking full advantage of the incredible produce that we have in Spain, including the best fish and seafood from the Atlantic and Mediterranean seas, as well as the best Galician red meats, as we bring those over to Jara. We are sure that such an innovative concept will be one of the best in Dubai.

Having been involved in the culinary industry for 49 years and having earned 12 Michelin stars, what is the key to staying relevant?
Never settle and always strive for excellence. Enjoy your work without ever forgetting your roots – and always give credit to the valuable producers and teams that help make you great. Staying humble and having ambition to serve the best guests in the world is our daily life. I am crazy about my job and I always keep in mind to be avant-garde in the kitchen. I look back only to gain momentum, with enthusiasm and gratitude that our customers are so loyal.

And finally, as the recipient of 12 Michelin stars, is it harder to earn or keep a star? To be 100 per cent honest with you, both are very hard feats – to earn a Michelin star in the first place and trying to keep it year after year.

THE GRILLING...

FIRST DISH YOU REALLY ‘MASTERED’ COOKING? Garlic soup was the first dish my mother and aunt taught me. It is a dish of humble cuisine from tradition.

THE BEST PIECE OF ADVICE YOU’VE BEEN GIVEN THROUGHOUT YOUR CAREER? Work hard, with humility and respect for your guests.

THREE INGREDIENTS YOU COULD NEVER COOK WITHOUT? Extra virgin olive oil, and seasonal and local products; acorn-fed Iberian ham and Cantabrian hake.

BAR YOUR OWN, WHAT’S YOUR FAVOURITE RESTAURANT IN THE WORLD? Zuberoa by Hilario Arbelaitz, which closed its doors in 2022.

FAVOURITE CITY TO TRAVEL TO FOR FOOD? Paris.

STRANGEST THING YOU’VE EATEN? Bugs in Mexico. I was not able to swallow them.

WHO HAS INSPIRED YOU MOST THROUGHOUT YOUR CAREER? My parents, my aunt, Hilario Arbelaitz and my French teachers.

FAVOURITE COOKING TELEVISION SHOW? MasterChef.

FAVOURITE COOKBOOK? In Spain all the housewives of the 20th century learned to cook with The 1000 Recipes of Simone Ortega. I have a lot of respect for women like her.

IF YOU HAD ONE LAST MEAL, WHAT WOULD IT BE? Anything – but in the company of family and friends.