Meet Head Chef, Pedro
Nestled in the creative corner of Birmingham, Rico Libre is home to tapas with a twist, full of vibrant dishes with exciting flavours.
But it’s not only Tapas Pedro and his team are cooking up. With the recent launch of Paella Night, the kitchen is alive and bustling, crafting flavourful Valencian-inspired food.
We recently went behind the counter to learn from our Head Chef what it takes to bring Rico Libre’s celebrated cuisine to life.
Find out what Pedro had to say…
Where in Spain did you grow up?
Guadalajara, Castilla La Mancha 🇪🇸
How long have you worked at Rico Libre?
I joined Rico last September (2019).
In a nutshell, how would you describe your job?
My job is gratifying, exciting, sometimes pressured and hard work.
Tell us about a typical working day…
My job starts planning each day: I place the orders for the following day, and check today’s delivery to see if it is correct. Then I start to go through my prep list: sauces, stews, desserts etc. - I have to have all prep done and ready in time for service. Finally, I clean up the kitchen.
What’s your favourite part of being Head Chef?
My favourite part of the job is during service because it’s the time to showcase your efforts.
What are you most proud of achieving here?
Seeing customers come to the kitchen window to tell me how good the food has been - this makes me proud.
Tell us what your favourite dish is and why?
Paella is the best for me because it’s a big challenge to cook as all the ingredients are fresh and it needs to be delivered to the table perfectly cooked.
Thank you, Pedro!
This interview has been edited and condensed.