An Extremaduranese view of the coronation of Carlos III

“The country is out on all sides,” the chef illustratively sums up. “The decoration is everywhere. You go to the supermarkets and the small shops… and you see the British flag as a symbol of party and celebration,” he describes in a phone conversation laden with some English expressions.

This Saturday all eyes will be on the capital of the River Thames, which is hosting an event that has been described as historic – 70 years since the last coronation – and which moves numbers that overwhelm, although not as huge as those recorded at the coronation of Queen Elizabeth II in 1953. And attended The ceremony included 2,200 guests, 11,500 police officers were deployed to ensure security, a parade of 4,200 meters and a budget of between 50 and 100 million pounds.

Calendar whims and professional commitments, Bizarro will not be in London this day. Although he has been able to soak up the air over the past weeks, the chef is in Spain, where he acts as ambassador to a group of British journalists, who have been shown Seville, Gabugo, Granada and Malaga.

And this Saturday, to be precise, in the town of Cadiz in Zahara de los Atunes, where he owns a wonderful house overlooking the sea and also accepts reservations. Here he plans to record a cooking show with a fellow Brit for ITV, the UK’s premier commercial channel.

But in-between shots, moving forward, they’ll be acutely aware of everything that’s going on in London. “We have organized a party because British friends come to our house. And we invited local friends too, ”he explains. Thus, he comments, he will also live in the UK.

“It is a celebration. What the British love so much is to celebrate and, above all, in the neighbourhoods, in the homes… Whether you are royal or not, this is something to celebrate, to get together and have a good time,” he explains.

business impact

José Pizarro believed that this way of celebrating in British homes and quarters should follow, step by step, whatever happens in Westminster and Buckingham will be observed in business. Although the volume of reservations at its establishments is good, she sees that there will be a smaller audience than usual.

“It wouldn’t be the best weekend for work. Very obvious. We have a good occupation. But I think a lot of people will stay home and watch the party on TV. It’s the kind of celebration where people like to be with friends and family and not go out too much.”

«After 70 years – continues the chef – it’s Carlos’ turn. It’s a piece of history seen, it’s a very pompous ritual with a lot of history behind it. It’s interesting to read about it and know what’s going on before you see the celebration in this way. I find it very cool. It would be a shame not to be able to be there, but that’s what happened. Carlos III would not continue on the throne for the 70 years that his mother did. I think we’ll know another coronation, but let’s hope it’s not too soon: Hail the King! he stated.

food menu

Pizarro didn’t have to design any of the lunches the Windsors would serve after the coronation. And he indicated a few days ago that it was “certainly made by chefs from the royal house.” That was it. The main course on the menu is signed by Mark Flanagan, personal chef of Carlos III and head chef of the Royal Household. If Queen Elizabeth chose chicken with curry sauce, her son chose a vegetarian quiche – a kind of savory cake – consisting of spinach, beans, cheese and tarragon.

The choice did not escape criticism because the origin of this dish is French. The Royal House shared the recipe on social networks and on their website so that Brits can make the same dish at home.

The menu also includes yoghurt-marinated eggplant with sautéed onions and a rack of grilled lamb with an Asian-style dressing. The sweet note will fall, this time, on a very English dessert: a small piece made with a sponge base and filled with pastry cream or fruit, which will be the responsibility of British chef and restaurateur Adam Handling.

“There is a lot of support for the coronation. It’s a wonderful support,” concluded Jose Pizarro of the resonance the local press gets from a party like the one held on Saturday. He, miles away and immersed in a TV recording, thinks nothing of losing it.

By the way, the guy from Extremadura didn’t just bring Spanish cuisine to the UK. Since the beginning of the year, he has been running a restaurant in Abu Dhabi, United Arab Emirates. His career never stops growing—he’s published four cookbooks—without ever stopping to look back at Talavan, which is where his roots lie.