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Brindisa Tapas has appointed Angel Zapata Martin as Chef Director as the London-based Spanish restaurant group continues to strengthen its senior leadership team.
Born in Barcelona, Zapata Martin brings more than 20 years of experience across restaurants and hospitality businesses in Spain, London and internationally.
Most recently, he served as Executive Chef at Grupo Mambo in Ibiza.
Prior to that, Zapata Martin spent seven years as Chef Director of Barrafina and Parrillan at Harts Group, where he played a role in Barrafina Dean Street maintaining its Michelin star.
His relationship with Brindisa dates back to 2017, when he first met founder Monika Linton while working at Barrafina.
During his time with Harts Group, Zapata Martin regularly sourced ingredients from Brindisa and maintained a relationship with the company’s sales team.
In his new position, he will work with Brindisa’s existing network of Spanish producers while developing the group’s approach to contemporary Spanish cooking.
His remit will include exploring Spanish home cooking, regional dishes and seasonal produce alongside the connection between ingredients and the producers behind them.
“I am so thrilled to welcome Angel to Brindisa. With his roots firmly set in Catalunya and Mediterranean Spain we can share what I learnt and loved working there as a chef de partie in Begur and then as a teacher in this region where I stayed for 3 years before I co-founded Brindisa in 1988,” said Monika Linton. “I have known Angel since 2017 and have watched his career develop. He understands where we have come from, but he also brings the experience and curiosity to help us think about where we go next. We want the next few years to be exciting, and Angel is an important part of that.”
Zapata Martin said: “Brindisa has always been a brand I have admired. I have a lot of respect for Monika and what she has built, and many very good memories of our time in the Spanish food community in London. I am excited to join the business, bring my experience to the team and, together with Monika, explore what the next chapter can look like.”
Zapata Martin began his career in Barcelona, including roles at Escola d’Hostaleria Hofmann, before working at Ossiano in Dubai under three-Michelin-starred chef Santi Santamaria.
He later moved to Ibiza, where he worked at Destino Pacha Ibiza Luxury Resort, and has also worked as a private chef and consultant across Ibiza, Saint-Tropez and Megève.
From 2017 until 2024, he served as Chef Director of Barrafina and Parrillan before returning to Ibiza as Executive Chef at Grupo Mambo.
His appointment follows Kelly Richardson becoming Managing Director of Brindisa Tapas.
The group’s senior team also includes Adrian Castro as Beverage Director, Vish Vakani as Operations Director, Thibault Bouclier as Operations Manager and Flori Porja as Kitchen Operations Manager.
Zapata Martin will now work across Brindisa’s food, kitchens and restaurants as the business develops the next stage of its culinary direction.
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Adds context on Zapata Martin’s former employer, Harts Group, and its continued development of Spanish restaurant concepts through the Barrafina and Parrillan teams.
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