Ferran Adrià: “No chef becomes a millionaire solely through their restaurant”

That media image of the rich and famous chef is completely distorted. The reality is quite the opposite: it's an industry where it's incredibly difficult to make money by offering quality. I have many friends who struggle to keep their businesses afloat. Millionaires are few and far between, and those who are aren't millionaires because of their restaurants, but because of television, books, licensing… It's a bit like in music: people say chefs are the new rock stars, but how many musicians actually make a living from their art? How many actors can afford a stable life?

• What is the minimum you expect from a restaurant?

All I can ask is that it be done with dignity. When I was young, Barcelona only had traditional restaurants and a few fine French establishments. Today there's an incredible variety. If you're going to make a frozen hamburger, make it as well as you can. Making a good or mediocre pizza costs the same, but it requires some care. It's not easy: many people are in this industry without enthusiasm or passion.

• If something in a restaurant doesn't convince you, do you keep quiet out of politeness or can't you help but say something?

These days, with the internet, it's very difficult to go to a restaurant you don't like. You see the reviews, the photos… and you already know more or less what to expect. 90% of the time you're right. It's a different story when I go to a high-end, creatively sophisticated restaurant, which aren't that many: about 20 a year. In those cases, if I don't like something, I keep quiet. If I'm very close to the staff, I might make a comment, but never the same day. I call them the next day and give them full feedback. In any case, I think you should go to a restaurant to enjoy yourself. I'm very positive and always see the glass half full.

• Do you miss being able to go to restaurants without anyone knowing you?

No, people are very polite. I usually go to places in my area where I feel at home. It's true that sometimes I go to discover something new, and I understand that the chef might find it interesting that I'm there and perhaps get a little nervous. But I handle it very well; it doesn't bother me at all.

• In recent years he has dedicated himself to preserving the legacy of elBulli. Can a revolution end up becoming a museum?

You can't imagine how many people come in and say, "I didn't know so much work went into this." We're used to going to a museum to see a painting, and explaining a creative process is a challenge. But it's working reasonably well: we have quite a few groups. Most of them are people who've never even been to the restaurant. Keep in mind that those who are 30 now were 15 when we closed. That's why it's so important to preserve what happened there, because otherwise, it's forgotten.

• Do you ever think about posterity? What will people be saying about Adrià in 100 years?

No matter how vain you are, when you die, it doesn't matter what people say about you anymore, right? But in a way, that's why we made the books: so people have context. Today, many young people use tongs in the kitchen without knowing they were invented by elBulli. I loved looking through the books of the Nouvelle Cuisine chefs, who were my role models. I wish all the important ones had a museum too.

• Rich countries don't cook, poor countries don't have anything to cook with... Is the world worse fed than ever?

I don't think we eat worse in Spain today than we did in the post-war period, for example. But it's true that quality products are becoming increasingly expensive. And it's a shame that, even though they could eat well, people prefer a bad ready-made meal to a can of sardines. Sometimes you open a home cookbook and see: two hours to make a dish! Who has that kind of time? But who doesn't have 20 minutes to grill some fresh, healthy food?