Joan Font: "I'm ready to prove that, with a minimal budget and minimal time, you can cook something properly."

BarcelonaJoan Font (Barcelona, ​​1961) takes on the challenge of presiding over the Catalan Academy of Gastronomy and Nutrition when it has only been a month since the death of Carles VilarrubíThis Wednesday, at the traditional game luncheon that the Academy holds at the La Venta restaurant, he will officiate his first act as president, a position he will hold until 2030.

The transition has been quick.

— In organizations, there's nothing worse than provisionality, transience, and power vacuums. Carlos [Vilarrubí]'s illness was handled with utmost discretion, but I was carrying out my duties in his absence. Although many people don't realize it, the Academy does a lot; it has many events and commitments. I set myself the goal of having a new board of directors in place within 30 days.

You were the only candidate.

— My candidacy wasn't being considered, because I had always said that when my president left, I would leave with him. But he hasn't finished an election term. It was an abrupt end due to illness, and therefore, it wasn't my turn to leave. that I had planned, to go with my friendThen, a lot of people asked me to do it, and I thought, "For me, it means a radical life change."

In what sense?

— I had a profession I practiced; I was a lawyer. And the Academy takes a long time. Especially the way I want to approach it. It can't be, for example, that the day of the National Awards arrives and a judge sets a court date for me, preventing me from attending. Some things are simply incompatible. Bearing this in mind, along with two long-term projects that have come my way, I've decided to enter into a process of early retirement. I'll remain connected to my firm, but I'm very excited to dedicate myself wholeheartedly to the Academy. I was widowed five and a half years ago, and I needed this change in my life.

What is the approach you have planned for the Academy?

— I have four lines of action. The first is cross-cutting collaboration. Academies are part of what are called state structures. Therefore, I believe we provide an important service as think tank And as a center of excellence. This means that everyone is welcome. Some people are hesitant, saying, "I won't go because this is for a certain group, a certain type of person." What I would like is for everyone who can contribute to Catalan gastronomy to come. And I, personally, will make sure they are welcomed. We have a small country but with a significant accumulation of talent, and that talent must be harnessed.

What would the second one be?

— To give the region the importance it deserves. I plan to visit it very often. Catalonia has a great showcase, which is Barcelona, ​​a global showcase. But showcases, without the shop and the workshop, don't work. Therefore, I want to go to the Ebro Delta to see what they are doing with oysters and mussels. And I want to go to the Aran Valley to see what they are doing with caviar. And in Figueres with onions, and in Lleida with snails, and in Valls with calçots. And to remind them that the Academy is with them and that we can do things. This, combined with cooperation with the administration. Civil society cannot be at odds with political power. It doesn't matter who is in charge: in the service of Catalan gastronomy, I have to deal with everyone.

And the third line of action?

— Nutrition and healthy habits. I'm very concerned about the latent pandemic we're living through. I mean, I remember when I was 15, there was one overweight kid in my class. Now they're the majority. I don't buy the argument that healthy cooking is expensive. That's absolutely not true. We must drastically reduce our consumption of ultra-processed foods. I'm ready to prove that, with a minimal budget and minimal time, you can cook something properly. In less than 20 minutes, you can make a healthy, decent, perfect Spanish omelet. From scratch. Don't we have 20 minutes because we have to watch TV? We should also try to get into schools; we can give talks at the Academy. We have amazing people there, and they're also media personalities.

And we have one last course of action left.

— Culture. Publishing books; we've published three, with great success. And I'd like to publish in newspapers, magazines... Up until now, we've focused on publishing obituaries. But we can also offer a perspective that might be useful and helpful. I'd like continue with the exhibitionsThere are many things to teach people so they feel Catalan gastronomy is their own. Perhaps it would be good for someone to ask why Catalonia doesn't have a Nobel Prize. Catalonia doesn't have a Nobel Prize because it doesn't have a state and no one to support us. Therefore, we get as far as we get. But we have people who deserve it much more than many who have received it. So, miraculously, thanks to our creativity, Catalonia is a small country that does extraordinary things. One of them is being a leader in world gastronomy, and that should be showcased.

What do you think are the biggest risks we face as Catalan gastronomy?

— Dying of success. We must remain very demanding. I'm not worried about the youth academy; we have young talent like last year's breakthrough player, Moha Quach. What worries me is that we might enter a phase of apathy, of saying "we're more than capable," of thinking what Helenio Herrera said about "we'll win without even getting off the bus."

For a long time we have been compared to Madrid.

— Some comparisons are pointless. I think it's absurd to waste time on them. Barcelona is a 2,000-year-old city. Madrid was founded in 1561. The only difference is that one is a state capital and the other is the capital of a nation without a state. But this shouldn't offend anyone; these aren't opinions, these are facts. On one of my first trips outside Catalonia, I plan to visit the president of the Royal Academy of Gastronomy. There's little contact between us. And I want to talk to him; I always believe that debating ideas and establishing positions amicably is important, but we are a national academy. And this is something that must be said without shame.

Catalonia was named World Region of Gastronomy in 2025. What is your assessment?

— Positive. Anything that involves getting things done is positive. It could have been better, yes. It could have been worse, certainly. Things have been done, the Generalitat (Catalan government) has been involved despite the political changes. And there has been the participation of the El Bulli Foundation and the Fundació Alícia, two world-class foundations that are a source of pride.

He's a lawyer by profession. Where does his love of gastronomy come from?

— It's in my DNA. The upbringing I received at home was based on a diet very much rooted in quality ingredients and traditional cooking. In my house, the women have always been in charge, and we've always eaten exceptionally well. And since we've always eaten well, I learned to cook. When I was young, I was always the cook because I didn't have a penny and I wasn't about to give up on food.