Chef, restaurateur and the godfather of Spanish cuisine in the UK, José Pizarro — the man behind José, Pizarro, Lolo and the Royal Academy's dining room — joins Once Upon a Time to share the three stories that shaped who he became, spanning ambition, quiet persistence, and the belief that food is how you tell people who you are.
Stories Discussed
Story 1: The Devil in the Kitchen — Marco Pierre White
Type: Autobiography. The story of how Marco became the youngest chef to win three Michelin stars — and then gave them back. Jose read it after arriving in London and recognised everything: the 16-hour days, the brutal kitchens, the single-minded pursuit of something you can't quite name.
Story 2: Cathedral of the Sea by Ildefonso Falcones
Type: Novel. A story about a man from a small village who spends his life building a cathedral — not for glory, but because it needed building. Jose saw himself in it completely: the boy from rural Extremadura who came to London with no English, and opened restaurant after restaurant.
Story 3: The Book of Jewish Food — Claudia Roden
Type: Cookery / cultural history. Not just a cookbook but a 15-year, 500-recipe journey through the Jewish diaspora told through food. Jose adores Claudia Roden — she called him when their first books came out in the same week and suggested they do press together, and he's never forgotten it. The book represents everything Jose believes: that food is history, food is culture.
José's Books
For Jose, writing a cookbook is never just about the recipes — it's about learning, travelling, and understanding the story behind every dish. Each of his seven books is a love letter to a different corner of Spain.
Seasonal Spanish Food (Kyle Books, 2009)
Spanish Flavours: Stunning Dishes Inspired by the Regional Ingredients of Spain (Kyle Books, 2012)
Basque: Spanish Recipes from San Sebastián & Beyond (Hardie Grant, 2016)
Catalonia: Recipes from Barcelona and Beyond (Hardie Grant, 2017)
Andalusia: Recipes from Seville and Beyond (Hardie Grant, 2019)
The Spanish Home Kitchen: Simple, Seasonal Recipes and Memories from My Home (Hardie Grant, 2022)
The Spanish Pantry: 12 Ingredients, 100 Simple Recipes (Quadrille, 2025)