Meet The Member - Private Chef Francesc Condal
private chef - Francesc Condal
Hi Francesc. we’re glad to have you as a member of We Are St. Albans. We’d love to know a bit about your background, where you grew up and what brought you to Hertfordshire.
Hi there! My name is Francesc Condal, I grew up in a small city outside Barcelona. I’ve been in the UK for 18 years, in St. Albans and Hertfordshire since 2019. I came to learn English for 6 months and I am still here now with a small business, a family, 2 kids and a dog. I’ve spent most of the summers working abroad cooking in places such as Ibiza, South of France and Costa Brava but I stopped traveling just before Covid. My older son turned 5 and we decided to settle in St. Albans as it’s very convenient, good schools, lots of parks and an easy commute into London. During lockdown I was setting up a restaurant for a client in Watford where I worked for two and a half years, then since last summer I am back full-time to do dinner parties and events in St. Albans and London mainly.
When did you discover your passion for food and how did your career as a chef start?
I spent most of my summer holidays as a child with my grandparents. My grandma was like a magician to me, she would be all day long in the kitchen creating all sort of exquisite meals, cakes, ice creams, muffins, you name it. I went to a cookery school in Barcelona for 5 years. I started working summers while studying then when I finished, I decided to go and work and learn with some of the best 5*hotels and Michelin star restaurants in Catalonia. The Roca brothers, Can Jubany, Mas de Torrent, etc.
You have catered for some of the biggest celebrities in the world. We’d love to hear a bit more about this.
Well, I don’t like to name names, but I did cook for many Russians, football players, tennis players, top models, rock stars, bankers, politicians, etc. My first client owned a chocolate factory in Belgium which was really interesting. I’ve just been very lucky to have cooked for some amazing families that you would see on many magazine covers.
Has there been a career highlight so far?
I wouldn’t say a career highlight but when I worked for McLaren on the summer break, we were doing all of Gordon Ramsey’s events. Anything from Hampton Court Palace Music Festival to cooking in Sloane Square for people who were expecting Gordon but instead it was myself and another chef with his menu. Shortly after that I decided to start my own business, first as a private chef, then later on we started doing weddings and larger events.
Are there any chefs that inspire you?
Many, I follow over 1000 chefs on Instagram.
What is the best restaurant you’ve ever been to?
My top 3 experiences: 11 Madison Park in NYC, Disfrutar in Barcelona and the Ledbury in Notting Hill.
If you had to pick a favourite meal, what would it be?
It has to be a seafood paella. In Spain we would religiously have a paella every single Sunday with all the family, like you would have a Sunday roast here.
Is there an ingredient you dislike?
I like everything but I don’t usually use offal for my daily cooking…is not my client's first choice, we usually get the best cuts and produce. Saying that, I do love black pudding, haggis and all sort of charcuterie.
Starter or Dessert?
If I have to choose it would be dessert. To me a meal is not completed without a dessert, either a cheese plate or something with chocolate.
Tell us a bit more about the services that you offer?
Basically, we come to your house and we offer a fine dining experience in the dining room, or perhaps a large BBQ or paella in your garden. We normally set up a first meeting where we discuss client’s ideas, different menu options according to the season, budget, hire equipment, staff needed, etc. We offer a large selection of canapés, tapas, BBQ, paella, etc. If you want a spoil your family and friends we would offer you some dishes with lobster, fresh truffle, wild sea bass, beef fillet, caviar etc - we will always adapt the menu to the client’s budget.
Do you cater for small events as well as large?
Our dinner parties are usually between 8 to 12 guests, but we also do larger corporate events, weddings, store openings, launches at art galleries, wine matching dinners, etc. We offer a nice selection of canapés, bowl food, BBQ, paella and buffet food.
Finally, living locally, what do you like doing in St. Albans most and do you have a favourite local restaurant?
I’ve lived in St. Albans since before Covid started, then moved to Sarratt 2 years ago, and now moving back to St. Albans next month. St. Albans has nearly everything that London can offer, gyms, shops, schools, parks, lots of cafés and restaurants. My favourite restaurants in the St. Albans area are Thompson, The Plough in Sleapshyde and the Silver Cup in Harpenden. It used to be Paprika but that sadly closed a few years ago.