Family Affair The master of Asturian gastronomy Nacho Manzano expands his geographic focus with a new hotel project on Porto’s River Douro, where the culinary heritage of the Iberian coast takes centre stage. Words: Shanna McGoldrick
N
acho Manzano isn’t in a hurry.
and Sandra. “The house evolved as Spain
The Spanish chef, who has
evolved, it changed with the times,” he reflects.
three Michelin stars and five
Manzano was drawn to the joy of hospitality
restaurants to his bow, has
as a child. “When people came to my house to
learned that good things come
eat, the house would be dressed up; it would feel
to those who graft.
like a party,” he remembers. “On those days, it
This mindset wasn’t crafted in the world’s
became a new universe. It was the part I liked
great culinary capitals, but rather in La Salgar,
most; festive, glamorous and interesting.”
the rural village in Asturias, where Manzano
He decided early on to dedicate himself to
has spent his life working alongside his family
cooking, heading to the coastal city of Gijón
in the very house in which he was born and
to spend seven formative years working at a
raised. His parents ran a small shop from home,
respected seafood restaurant. He returned home
which doubled as a local bar and general card-
in 1993 to join forces with his sisters and take
playing spot. Then, as Spain’s socio-economic
the reins at Casa Marcial, named after their late
boom made eating-out more popular in the
father, where he chose to honour both regional
1980s, the business model expanded to include
and familial influences. “I didn’t think it was
food, with guests ordering in advance and his
loyal to copy what I’d learned in Gijón,” he
mother cooking to accommodate them.
says. “And it didn’t make sense in my village.”
Today, decades of vision, persistence and
Instead, he turned inward – towards memory,
a deep respect for regional produce have
landscape and instinct. “I didn’t have much
transformed that house into Casa Marcial, a
technique, so I focused on expressing flavours
three-Michelin-starred temple to Asturian
that I had inside me,” he says. “I began to
cuisine run by Manzano and his sisters, Esther
create my own combinations, always based on