From a financier on Wall Street to an apprentice chef in some of the best restaurants in the world; from a private chef for wealthy families to an entrepreneur of his own gourmet catering business; and from cooking for Hollywood actors to traveling the world with his culinary program. We are talking about Charles Webb (Chicago, 1970), a lover of Spanish (and Brazilian and Italian) cuisine, known worldwide as the star chef, who boasts of pampering his clients with his own recipes always cooked with Spanish extra virgin olive oil and also introducing exclusive products from Spain.
Acorn-fed Iberian ham, Cabrales cheese, dried figs from Malaga, ground ñoras, or Ortiz preserves are some of the ingredients that this American has introduced in the menus of private dinners and in his top-notch caterings, not only in the United States, where most of his clients are from, but also in the rest of the world where his services are hired. Among the diners he has served are members of the Red Hot Chili Peppers band, Angelina Jolie, Brad Pitt, Jane Seymour, Madonna, the painter Fernando Botero, elite athletes, and other celebrities. "Sharon Stone wants me to cook for one of her dinners in December, and some time ago we did another one in the south of France for George Clooney. It is true that they are famous people, but for me, all my clients are VIP," the entrepreneur tells METRÓPOLI, who is currently in Barcelona preparing another of his business projects: the docuseries Chef on Tour.
What kind of food does he prepare for them? "People think that celebrities want Michelin-starred menus, but in reality, they are much simpler. They look for very high-quality products, very well made and with good presentation. Unless they want something specific, I have the freedom to introduce ingredients that I bring from other countries. I always add Italian and Spanish touches, even in the same dish, and that surprises the diners; I offer them a changing gastronomic journey," says the chef. Among these "touches" are, for example, Cabrales cheese or dried figs from Malaga. "They are so incredible that people ask me where I buy them. Luckily, I can bring them and that is what sets me apart from the competition."
Webb ensures that he always cooks his recipes with García de la Cruz extra virgin olive oil. "Actress Jane Seymour hosted a dinner with a group of people who were going to a wedding in San Miguel de Allende (Mexico) and we used Mexican products, but we cooked them with Spanish olive oil and also added Spanish spices. But what they liked the most was the acorn-fed Iberian ham, it is the best in the world, which I introduced in all the dishes because it complemented the flavors and textures perfectly," he explains.
He says he pairs his creations with Spanish red wine, especially one of his most demanded dishes by clients: beef ribs cooked on low heat for six hours, with potatoes and black truffle, to which he adds black pepper from Madagascar and dried Mexican chilies. "I accompany them with red wine and most of the time it is from Spain; Carignan and Grenache, because they have a lot of character and add a lot of flavor to the meat," he says.
Charles Webb's passion for cooking began when, to finance his Economics degree, he had to work in several restaurants as a waiter. He bought ingredients and made his dishes at home, but since that was not his goal, he finished his studies and went to work on Wall Street in New York.
He continued there until, in 2001, after witnessing the attack on the Twin Towers, his life took a complete turn. "I said to myself: 'if everything ended now, I would like to die happy'." And what made him happy was the world of cooking. He studied and prepared himself to make money doing what he really loved. He worked in prestigious restaurants such as The Mercer Kitchen in New York, Casas Brancas Resort & Spa in Buzios, Brazil, Noma in Copenhagen (considered the best restaurant in the world several times), and on mega-yachts for the elite on the French Riviera and as a private chef for families. "All of this was part of my training, but it is not only worth working with top chefs in top restaurants. I always say that the best education I have had in my life has been traveling, seeing how grandmothers cooked in the places I visited and understanding the soul of food, that was much more than being in a university or school," he assures.
He then started his own business: Avanti Gourmet Catering, one of the most recognized gourmet catering companies in Chicago, providing service at events and special dinners throughout the United States and the world, up to 140 annually, from hosting shareholder meetings for large multinational corporations to art exhibition presentations or Christmas parties for individuals and companies.
Charles Webb's most recent project is Chef on Tour, a docuseries where he travels the world discovering the creative and gastronomic side of each city. The initiative, which already consists of 16 mini-episodes broadcast on Instagram and YouTube with views surpassing a million, combines gastronomy, lifestyle, local narratives, and culture, turning each destination into a complete culinary experience. Milan, Tel Aviv, Bogotá, Panama City, Rio de Janeiro, and Marbella have been some of the cities featured in the program, now joined, for the second time, by Barcelona. "The documentary goes beyond creating recipes, Michelin-starred restaurants, food... it is a promotion of the city from all sectors that is complemented by stories of characters around art, music, fashion, well-being... we also give visibility to local foundations that catch our attention and with which we end up working," Webb explains.
Barcelona is not the first city in Spain where the American chef has done his program, he has also been in Marbella, Malaga, Mijas, and hopes to do it very soon in Madrid. What attracts you to Spanish cuisine? "Gastronomy is a black hole, there is no end, that happens all over the world, and in Spain, I am always learning. I like the diversity and there is a lot here, and I am lucky to know many excellent products that I can use in my recipes. If I have to choose the menu, Italian and Spanish ingredients are never missing. I like to mix flavors and textures, and create a gastronomic symphony," concludes the so-called star chef.