Manchester loses its Catalan cuisine: Pep Guardiola's restaurant closes
La Cata, which features a gastronomic offering designed by Paco Pérez, will hold its last service this Saturday.
The city of Manchester will lose El Tast restaurant, one of whose partners is Manchester City manager Pep Guardiola. As confirmed by Guardiola's personal friend Manel Estiarte, this Saturday, December 20th, will be the last day to enjoy the Catalan cuisine created by chef Paco Pérez, who holds five Michelin stars across his various restaurants.
The reason for the closure could be the growing gap between investment and profits. At least, that's what can be inferred from the statement the owners released on social media: "As the restaurant industry knows, we have faced challenging conditions and rising costs." Furthermore, the decision seems to have been rushed, as they also announced on social media that they will be refunding those who had booked tables as Christmas gifts. In their farewell message, they thank the customers who have frequented the restaurant during its eight years in Manchester, as well as their suppliers for their work and trust.
La Cata opened in July 2018 on King Street in the English cityFor the chef of the Miramar restaurant in Llançà, this was the first English restaurant he had worked in, and not because he wasn't used to working outside of Catalonia. In fact, one of the restaurants with a Michelin star is in Poland, specifically in the city of Gdansk. Among the partners who decided to open the restaurant were Josep Guardiola, but also colleagues from the Manchester City management team such as Txiki Begiristain and Ferran Soriano, as well as a restaurant group with establishments in England. And the initiative to have a Catalan restaurant nearby probably stemmed from his professional connection to the city of Manchester. Eating like you're at home when you're miles away is always a good incentive.
Chef Paco Pérez is considered one of the best in Spain for Catalan cuisine. Just this year, Montse Serra, the head of service, his partner, and the heir to the Miramar restaurant, has received several awards for her work. among them that of the Catalan Academy of Gastronomy and NutritionAmong the new projects the Pérez-Serra family is working on is opening a bread and pastry workshop in Barcelona, similar to the one they have inside the Miramar restaurant, which has been very well received by the people of Alt Empordà.