Chef José Pizarro

Chef José Pizarro

José Pizarro has lived in the UK for 11 years and in that time has worked at some of London’s most prestigious Spanish restaurants including Eyre Brothers and Gaudi.  Latterly he has been the head chef and co-owner of the critically acclaimed Brindisa Tapas Kitchens in London, which have all received rave review since opening.  José has now left Brindisa to pursue his own career. José was planning to become a dental technician in Spain but realised his love of food was bigger than his love of dentistry and completed one year of catering school in Cáceres before working in a restaurant local to his home town. In 1997 Pizarro moved to Madrid to the award-winning Meson de Doña Filo where he cooked nueva cocina and began his love affair with fresh, brightly flavoured dishes. José is lucky enough to live near Borough Market – home of some of the most wonderful meat, fish cheese and vegetables in London – and the site of the first Brindisa restaurant. This cooking saw a return to basic, rustic recipes using simple, fresh ingredients cooking perfectly.

José has appeared on BBC1’s Saturday Kitchen and UKTV Food’s Market Kitchen – and his first book ‘Seasonal Spanish Food’ was published last Autumn by Kyle Cathie to great critical acclaim.  The book has been translated and printed for other markets too, such as the US and Holland.  It will even been translated into Spanish for the people of Spain.  Earlier this year, Pizarro was shortlisted for an IACP award in the US, which recognises the best in cookbook talent.  He has also been shortlisted for the UK Guild of Food Writers’ awards. In both cases best first book.

Chef José Pizarro appears in

  • Cultures.social networks pubdom

    Today World Footprints talks to Chef Jose Pizarro, the “Father of Spanish Cooking in the UK.”   Chef Pizarro will talk about his new Spanish cook-book and life in the U.K.  Originally from a beautiful village, Talavan in Caceres, Extremadura, Jose has now lived in London for over 20 years, and is often described as the Godfather of Spanish cooking in the UK. Jose Pizarro spent his early years training in the top restaurants in Spain, before becoming Head Chef at a Michelin Star restaurant.  His restaurants now include Jose Pizarro, Pizarro and José Pizarro The Swan Inn, while he has also published a line of regional Spanish cookbooks. Then Emmy winning actress Heather Tom, star of the CBS daytime drama, The Bold and the Beautiful, discusses her recent trip to Thailand and her journey towards stardom.  In 2012, five-time Emmy Award winner Heather Tom set a record as the only actor in television history [...]