Those of you who have been wanting to dine at the Roca brothers’ El Celler de Can Roca in Girona, Spain—World’s Best Restaurant in 2014 and 2015 and currently number two on the list—we have a bit of a bad news; you have to wait a little longer for there’s an 11-month waitlist to get a table.

Impatient souls, chef Joan Roca hears you. Stop by Australia’s Margaret River Gourmet Escape (MRGE) next month to curb your craving. Before he flies down under, we chat with the man himself on what it’s like to run a restaurant with his brothers Jordi and Josep, and what we can expect at his MRGE event, Quay to the Celler at Cullens dinner. 

El Celler de Can Roca has consistently been one of the top restaurants in the world. What’s your secret?
Joan Roca Work, work and work. You should also have endurance, as well as commitment to creativity, innovation and values.

How do you work well together?
Roca There’s a lot of support because we share the same passion. Our skills are different but they complement each other, so we converse constantly. As such, we have built the restaurant our own way in the 30 years we have been working together. This has become our reality.

How do you solve problems with your brothers, Jordi and Josep?
Roca Any corner of the restaurant can become a place to discuss important issues, so we always make big decisions together, even during service. We always make sure that we all agree on something, and that has worked well for us. The downside is that we take more time to make a decision, but doing so ensures that it’s usually the right one.

Tell us about your menu, described as “modern freestyle” by the World’s 50 Best Restaurants.
Roca Our cuisine uses mostly local produce from small suppliers in our country. It’s conceptually inspired by our culture and gastronomic traditions, but at the same time committed to innovation.

Our food also tells the tale of our lives, trips and memories. Our inspiration comes from all angles, from our impressions of landscapes, a perfume, the wine knowledge that Josep has or the pastry techniques introduced by Jordi. We don’t believe in limits but we pay our respects to genuine flavours and tastes. At the end of the day, our goal is to draw out guests’ emotions.

How do you merge traditional Catalan cuisine with avant-garde techniques?
Roca By respecting the genuine taste and keeping a constant dialogue that considers small farmers as well as scientists. Cutting-edge techniques remain a fundamental element of our cuisine and are applied to enhance natural flavour, not mask it.

What can we look forward to from your collaboration with Peter Gilmore of Quay and Bennelong in Sydney?

Roca Guests will understand the spirit of complicity of two chefs from two very different continents—I come from Europe while Gilmore is Australian—connected by cuisine. A collaboration like this has never been seen before.

Do you have surprises up your sleeves?
Roca Peter and I will soon decide on our collaborative dishes when he visits me. I look forward to it so we can start creating something together. As this is my first time in Australia, everything will be discovered for the first time.

Who are you looking forward to meeting at MRGE?
Roca Dominique Crenn, Mauro Colagreco, Issac McHale, David Thompson, Ashley Palmer-Watts, and of course my good mate Andoni Luis Aduriz.

Any plans on your day off in Australia?
Roca I will leave that to my mates there. I look forward to them showing me the best places to eat.