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Gerard Bellver
World's 50 Best
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i. Biography
Gerard Bellver is chef-owner of Jiribilla in Barcelona, a role he took in 2023, and the shape of his career is built on repetition, distance, and return. Born in Barcelona, Spain, he worked for years in Mexico’s kitchens and diplomatic service before coming back to the city where he was born with the added responsibilities of ownership. The path runs from embassy service to a decade at Biko in Mexico City, and now to a restaurant that defines his present work.
The Path
Gerard Bellver trained at Tezka and Arzak before heading to Mexico, and that move set the course for what followed. The early work in Spain established a base; Mexico added the pace, pressure, and perspective that sharpen a cook’s timing. He later served as Head Chef at Spanish Embassy in Mexico and as cook at Biko in Mexico City (2007–2017), a ten-year span that marks endurance as much as advancement, and the kind of technical and cultural fluency that accrues through sustained service. Today, Gerard is chef-owner of Jiribilla (since 2023), carrying both flavor decisions and stewardship in the same role.
The Work Today
Since 2023, he has been chef-owner at Jiribilla in Barcelona, which puts him on both sides of the kitchen line. The work is not only about directing food; it also includes the practical and creative demands of the business. That split changes the terms of the job. Each decision, from the room’s energy to what lands on the plate, sits inside the restaurant’s larger identity. For Gerard, Jiribilla is the center of the present, and a clear marker of his return to the city where he was born.
Acclaim
Public recognition has followed the years spent building at Jiribilla after a long run in Mexico, where the work was shaped by service and repetition rather than visibility. The sequence is straightforward: the Spanish Embassy in Mexico, then a decade at Biko in Mexico City from 2007 to 2017. Each step added range and pressure. In 2023, he stepped into ownership in Barcelona, bringing the weight of those years into a new role defined by Jiribilla and by returning home with authority.
Profile updated July 2026
FAQ
Asked of Gerard
What is Gerard Bellver's current role?
As of 2026, Gerard Bellver is Chef-owner.
Where did Gerard Bellver train or study?
Gerard Bellver trained at Tezka and Arzak.
