The Almaria Herald

Biography

Marimón spent her childhood among the bustling fish markets and sun-drenched alleys of Puerto Almaria, a sensory tapestry where the scent of brine mingled with the earthy aroma of fresh produce and the clamour of daily trade. Her family, modest fishmongers for generations, instilled in her a deep respect for honest, seasonal ingredients and the rhythms of the sea. It was in her grandmother’s humble kitchen, watching local olives pressed into shimmering, verdant oil, that she first developed a profound sensory devotion to the golden liquid, a passion that endures in every dish she creates today. Her formal training began at the Almaria Culinary Institute, a rigorous foundation that she augmented with an intensive apprenticeship under the formidable Chef Antoni Serra at the Almaria Vella’s Grand Hotel. It was there, amidst the precise chaos and demanding pace of a high-pressure kitchen, that she truly honed her craft and developed her distinctive, robust style. A subsequent, pivotal stint running a small, experimental bistro in the secluded cove of Sant Joan, famed for its innovative tapas and adventurous flavour pairings, cemented her burgeoning reputation and paved the way for her eventual triumphant return to the capital and the opening of El Olivar. Today, Marimón divides her time meticulously between the demanding theater of El Olivar's kitchen, where she presides over a dedicated brigade of ambitious young chefs and a meticulous front-of-house team, and the bright, often artificial, lights of various television studios. She is the singular, driving authority in her burgeoning culinary empire, answering only to the exacting standards she sets for herself and her burgeoning brand. This season, her singular focus is on refining El Olivar’s menu and elevating every aspect of its service, driven by the quiet but fierce ambition to finally earn Almaria’s first coveted Michelin star. Despite her public persona of boisterous confidence and her carefully cultivated neutrality, she finds the constant political machinations that unfold nightly in her dining room deeply unsettling and often yearns for a kitchen free of such burdensome theatre.

Goals

• ·Get a Michelin star
• ·Avoid taking sides