Spanish chef José Pizarro is about to open his third spot on Bermondsey Street; he tells us about why sharing with friends and enjoying food is so important
“I feel my career has been a dream. I never thought I would be in the position to have the things I have, the business I have. It’s been hard work, as nothing is easy in this life, but it’s been incredible,” says José Pizarro.
With soon to be eight restaurants under his belt – Lolo opens on Bermondsey Street this summer – he says it’s a dream “to be able to run the big family that we are now, with more than 200 people under my wings”.
Early years
José says he’s “very lucky” to have grown up on a farm, growing up with “the best food you can get”. He didn’t grow up visiting restaurants, but in a small village – “but that means that I was lucky to have everything that you eat around you, the best ingredients you can get”.
And this means, when it comes to food inspiration, “it comes from my mum, comes from my family, comes from everyday cooking and, of course, from the land”.
He says: “Cooking is all about, like we say, the best you can get from the land. I didn’t cook much, but my mum did and when you’re a kid, you absorb everything, and that is what happened to me.”
José was absorbing everything that was happening around him in terms of flavours and in terms of smells. All of that was his inspiration, too. “And then, of course, when you’re a chef, you eat more out and try different things and learn from who you are visiting and then also your creativity is your inspiration,” he adds.
Tapas means sharing
Tapas can be a love language, sharing dishes between family or friends, and being able to taste new and varied things. But for José, “it’s what I’ve been doing all my life”.
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He explains: “Of course, we don’t just eat tapas at home, it’s not how we normally eat. But it’s a way to eat when you are going out. It’s a way that you can enjoy sharing and talking with people. It’s nice to have everything in the middle because it gives you more opportunities to try different things.”
“And then when you are eating, you try one thing, ‘Oh wow, this is nice.’ You try another one and, in the end, it’s a very nice way of eating and sharing with people. That’s what tapas is about – being with people and enjoying.”
Creating new dishes
How has José’s approach to creating new dishes changed over time? As he adds locations to his repertoire, plus a new book on the horizon, he reminds us that “nothing is simple, as you can imagine”.
Experimenting with creating something new, he says, “just comes to you, really. You are in the kitchen and you see a few ingredients, then you just think what is needed on the menu, or you go to the market and see what is in season”.
He explains: “After so many years, you can think that it’s difficult, but I think it’s easier. I’m writing my seventh book now, and you can think, ‘What am I going to write?’ But you have plenty to write because food and ingredients are completely your creativity, even in simple dishes.”
José couldn’t tell us what exactly he was writing, but we do know it’s out in May next year – and we’re sure there will be a whole table full of new delicious dishes to try for ourselves.
Plate of the moment
Favouring cooking with seasonal produce, and the best you can get, José nods to a particular dish of the moment; at the time of writing, asparagus is on the menu at José locations, white asparagus from Spain and green asparagus from the UK, which “are the best in the world”, he says.
“The white asparagus, we are serving with a lovely cauliflower puree with finish with jamon Iberico. It’s absolutely delicious,” says José.
An ode to Spain
José recently received an award of the Royal Order of Isabella the Catholic, a Spanish civil order of chivalry and honour for which he got for his contributions to food and culture, and is the only Spanish chef to ever receive the award.
He says: “It was amazing, but more amazing because it’s about my contribution of Spanish cuisine and culture here in the UK. That recognition for me is very important, it’s what I’ve been trying to do here for the last 25 years.
“And the party was amazing in the Spanish Embassy and, by surprise, the King of Spain gave me the cross. My mum, my family and my friends were there, too, which was even better. That was a very proud moment. It was one of the best moments of my life.”
José explains how there is so much going on in Spain, and so many new things coming in and out. For him, in the beginning, people in the UK didn’t know as much about Spanish food and culture. “But when you want to learn something, it’s quite easy,” he says, “because we want to learn here in the UK. We want to discover. So, bringing Spanish food here was quite easy because people want to try new things.”
Lolo love
And there will be the chance to try even more new things with José’s latest spot on Bermondsey Street, which will open its doors in a few months. Lolo – which is a reference to José’s middle name, Manuel – marks his first all-day dining location. From morning breakfasts to late-night dining, Lolo promises a unique blend of conviviality and culinary delights.
“I’m going to have quite a few more ingredients from here from the UK that I love,” says José. “It’s going to be very simple, which is what I do. It’s my new baby, it’s quite a lovely new concept coming to the table, and I’m so looking forward to it.”
Similar to José’s other locations, “it’s going to be about buying the best and not doing much to it”. However, it will be “a different menu than you normally see in my restaurants”, he explains. “But it’s good, it’s new inspiration and that’s always good. It’s good to keep me on my toes. I don’t like to repeat myself in any of the business. I’m very excited.”
Bermondsey Street
Lolo will be the third of José’s located on Bermondsey Street. He lived nearby before opening his first restaurant on the road, the José Tapas Bar in 2011.
“For me, Bermondsey is very central but it’s not Piccadilly. It’s a really cool area with so much creativity,” says José. “There are many galleries around, like The White Cube, but so many others and so many creative people. To be around creative people is always good, even if it has nothing to do with food. But creativity makes me very, very happy, to have that learning and art, we need art in our life.”
José says he enjoyed the community of Bermondsey during the time he lived in the area, and it was one of the reasons he first set up shop here. “I still feel the same about the community as the first time I was walking around Bermondsey,” he says.
Homecoming
José has previously said: “My restaurants are like my own house. It’s why I have open kitchens – so that my customers feel like they are guests in my home.”
The Biscuit asked, why is the feeling of home so important? “You go to restaurants to make yourself feel better, to see your friends, to discover new things, and then when you’re at home and you’re cooking for your friends, it is the same,” says José. “Whether people are coming to my home or to my restaurant I want them to eat and feel better. It’s what I try to do, make people feel better and have a good time.”
And what does a chef eat when he is off the clock? “When I go home, cooking is not business anymore. But I do love to cook at home,” José explains. “I love to spend time enjoying cooking with my partner or cooking for friends, something unique. When you are feeding people, you are making people happy – normally”, he adds with a chuckle.
Even after working in the restaurant, José says he needs to cook at home, too. He says every cupboard should have beans and says he rustles up something quick, like an omelette or a salad, after work. “A bean salad, with tuna and fresh bread and olive oil. Delicious, and then you’re happy,” he says.
