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The incredible success of the Roca Brothers, who run the world's second best restaurant El Celler de Can Roca, can be widely attributed to their mother.
Monserrat Fontané, a lively 76-year old who still works in the kitchen, recently opened up about her family and her work ethic in an interview with Spanish publication La Vanguardia.
''When you wake up and feel that your back and feet hurt and your day is filled with challenges, you have a strong desire to stay in bed...but you can't do that. If you stop, you lose your will to live,'' she told writer Bàrbara Julbe.
Image courtesy Fira de Giriona blog
Fontané runs the kitchen at Can Roca, the family restaurant she operates with her husband just a few hundred feet away from their son's three Michelin-starred dining spot. It was there that Joan, Josep and Jordi Roca developed their passion for cooking.
Joan is known for his avant-garde dishes while Josep trained as a sommelier and runs the front of the house. Younger brother Jordi (pictured below) has made a name for himself as a whimsical pastry chef. Their combined talents have led to creations like the world's first culinary opera.
''[My sons], they work so hard also. They are full each day. They even have reservations until the end of the year. But there's one thing, we eat together everyday. We do it standing up in the kitchen at Can Roca. It's our moment,'' Fontané revealed.
Image courtesy El Celler de Can Roca
Aside from running the kitchen at Can Roca, Fontané is responsilbe for the group of young interns who perform stages at El Celler de Can Roca. It's this incredible dedication to the field of gastronomy that has been passed down to her sons.
The Roca Bros. have been hard at work this year, putting the finishing touches on their gastro-opera and giving speeches around the world, including one at Harvard University.
Will their hard work catapult them to the number one spot on the World's 50 Best Restaurants list? No one would be prouder than their mom.
The World's 50 Best Restaurant Awards ceremony will be held Monday, April 29th. Fine Dining Lovers will live stream the show so you don't miss a single moment of this spectacular event.
WATCH: World's 50 Best Restaurants 2012 | El Celler de Can Roca No. 2
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