RAüL BALAM

Trained at two of Spain’s food temples with the coveted three Michelin stars – briefly at Pedro Subijana’s Akelarre in San Sebastian but mostly at his mum’s Sant Pau in his hometown of Sant Pol near Barcelona – Raül Balam now has one of his own.

Son of Carme Ruscalleda, one of Spain’s leading chefs with five Michelin stars to her name, the young chef got his as head chef at Moments restaurant at the Mandarin Oriental in Barcelona. That’s also where his husband Jordi Ciuraneta works as the maître d’ – yup, he bats for our team and is possibly the world’s only openly gay chef with a Michelin star.