Jordi Roca is the Spanish Catalan pastry chef widely recognised as one of the leading figures in modern global pastry and the youngest of the three Roca brothers at El Celler de Can Roca in Girona, Spain. Born 4 February 1978 in Girona, Catalonia, Spain, Jordi grew up in his parents’ Can Roca restaurant in the Taiala suburb of Girona alongside his elder brothers Joan (head chef) and Josep (sommelier). Jordi joined the family operation as pastry chef in 1997 at age 19, completing the equilateral-triangle three-brother partnership that has anchored El Celler de Can Roca ever since. He was named World’s Best Pastry Chef in 2014 by the World’s 50 Best Restaurants.
Jordi Roca’s 2025-2026 work continues at El Celler de Can Roca, which retained its three Michelin stars and Michelin Green Star in the 2026 Spain Michelin Guide announced at the November 2025 Michelin Gala. He continues to expand his Rocambolesc ice cream parlour brand, with Rocambolesc 2.0 launching alongside Alejandra Rivas in 2026 and presentations scheduled at Alimentaria in March 2026. The Brunch Electronik Festival 2026 collaboration represents one of his most distinctive 2025-2026 creative partnerships, and 2026 marks the 40th anniversary of the original 1986 Roca brothers’ restaurant opening.
TL;DR
- Spanish Catalan pastry chef born 4 February 1978 in Girona, Catalonia
- Youngest of three Roca brothers at El Celler de Can Roca
- Joined El Celler de Can Roca as pastry chef 1997 at age 19
- World’s Best Pastry Chef 2014 (World’s 50 Best Restaurants)
- Rocambolesc ice cream parlour brand and Casa Cacao chocolate
- 2026: Rocambolesc 2.0 with Alejandra Rivas; Alimentaria presentations March 2026
Jordi Roca key facts
| Born | 4 February 1978, Girona, Catalonia, Spain |
| Nationality | Spanish (Catalan) |
| Brothers | Joan Roca (head chef), Josep Roca (sommelier) |
| Restaurant | El Celler de Can Roca, Girona (joined as pastry chef 1997) |
| Other ventures | Rocambolesc ice cream parlour brand; Casa Cacao chocolate; Rocambolesc 2.0 |
| Major awards | World’s Best Pastry Chef 2014 (Worlds 50 Best); Spanish Premio Nacional de Gastronomia 2017 |
| Style | Avant-garde pastry, sensory experiences, ice cream and chocolate craft |
Early life and training of Jordi Roca
Jordi Roca was born on 4 February 1978 in Girona, in the Catalan region of Spain, the youngest of three brothers in a family that operated the Can Roca restaurant in the Taiala suburb of Girona. His elder brothers Joan and Josep had already opened El Celler de Can Roca in 1986 when Jordi was just 8 years old. The childhood in the family restaurant became the formative influence on his subsequent career across more than 25 years of pastry work.
Jordi attended the Escola d’Hosteleria de Girona for formal hospitality training in the early 1990s, where he developed a particular focus on pastry. He subsequently undertook stages at multiple Catalan and European restaurants, gaining classical pastry technique. The training period prepared him to join his brothers at El Celler de Can Roca, which by the mid-1990s was already an established Catalan fine-dining destination.
In 1997 at age 19 Jordi joined El Celler de Can Roca as pastry chef, completing the equilateral-triangle three-brother partnership that has anchored the restaurant ever since. He has continued in the pastry-chef role for more than 28 years, and the restaurant earned its second Michelin star in 2002 and third Michelin star in 2009 with Jordi as part of the founding three-brother team.
Jordi Roca career timeline
- 4 February 1978: Born in Girona, Catalonia, Spain
- Early 1990s: Escola d’Hosteleria de Girona for formal hospitality training
- Mid-1990s: Stages at multiple Catalan and European restaurants
- 1997: Joins El Celler de Can Roca as pastry chef at age 19
- 2002: Second Michelin star at El Celler de Can Roca
- 2009: Third Michelin star at El Celler de Can Roca
- 2012: Co-founds Rocambolesc ice cream parlour in Girona
- 2013: El Celler de Can Roca No 1 in World’s 50 Best Restaurants
- 2014: Named World’s Best Pastry Chef by World’s 50 Best Restaurants
- 2014: Publishes Postres cookbook
- 2015: El Celler de Can Roca No 1 in World’s 50 Best Restaurants (second time)
- 2017: Co-founds Casa Cacao chocolate brand
- 2017: Spanish Premio Nacional de Gastronomia awarded to Roca brothers
- 2018: Inducted into World’s 50 Best Best of the Best (with brothers)
- 2020-2022: Restaurant continues operations through Covid-19 pandemic
- 2024: Three Michelin stars and Green Star retained 2024
- 2025: Three Michelin stars and Green Star retained 2025
- November 2025 Michelin Gala: Three Michelin stars confirmed for 2026
- 2026: Launches Rocambolesc 2.0 with Alejandra Rivas
- March 2026: Rocambolesc 2.0 presentations at Alimentaria
- 2026: Brunch Electronik Festival creative collaboration
- 2026: 40th anniversary of original restaurant opening; three Michelin stars retained
Jordi Roca signature style: avant-garde pastry and sensory experiences
Jordi Roca’s central argument, developed across more than 28 years from 1997 onwards, is that avant-garde pastry can be approached as sensory and emotional experience rather than purely as confectionery technique. The El Celler de Can Roca dessert programme under Jordi has become one of the most-recognised avant-garde pastry programmes globally, with signature works including the Anarkia dessert and the perfume-inspired plate compositions that have become reference points in modern fine-dining pastry.
The second defining element is the multi-venture pastry portfolio. Rocambolesc ice cream parlours (co-founded 2012, expanding into Rocambolesc 2.0 in 2026 with Alejandra Rivas) and Casa Cacao chocolate (co-founded 2017) together represent one of the more substantial pastry-chef-led consumer-products portfolios of the past decade, anchored in Catalonia.
The third pillar is the equilateral-triangle three-brother partnership. Within the global pastry-chef cohort Jordi sits alongside peers including Pierre Herme and Albert Adria as one of the most-recognised pastry chefs of his generation. He continues alongside Joan Roca and Josep Roca in the equilateral-triangle partnership at El Celler de Can Roca.
Notable Jordi Roca work
Several Jordi Roca projects have become reference points in modern global pastry. The El Celler de Can Roca dessert programme (since 1997) is his defining pastry work and one of the most-recognised avant-garde pastry programmes globally. Rocambolesc ice cream parlour (co-founded 2012) is his ice cream brand. Casa Cacao chocolate (co-founded 2017) is his chocolate brand. The 2014 World’s Best Pastry Chef award from the World’s 50 Best Restaurants cement his global recognition. The 2026 Rocambolesc 2.0 launch with Alejandra Rivas and the March 2026 Alimentaria presentations represent his current creative ventures.
Jordi Roca awards and recognition
- 1997: Joins El Celler de Can Roca as pastry chef at age 19
- 2002: Second Michelin star at El Celler de Can Roca
- 2009: Third Michelin star at El Celler de Can Roca
- 2012: Co-founds Rocambolesc ice cream parlour
- 2013: El Celler de Can Roca No 1 in World’s 50 Best
- 2014: World’s Best Pastry Chef (World’s 50 Best Restaurants)
- 2014: Postres cookbook
- 2015: El Celler de Can Roca No 1 in World’s 50 Best (second time)
- 2017: Co-founds Casa Cacao chocolate brand
- 2017: Spanish Premio Nacional de Gastronomia
- 2018: Inducted into World’s 50 Best Best of the Best
- 2024: Three Michelin stars and Green Star retained 2024
- 2025: Three Michelin stars and Green Star retained 2025
- 2026: Three Michelin stars and Green Star retained 2026
- 2026: Launches Rocambolesc 2.0; Alimentaria presentations March 2026
Jordi Roca impact on modern global pastry
Jordi Roca’s most concrete contribution is the El Celler de Can Roca dessert programme since 1997, which has become one of the most-recognised avant-garde pastry programmes globally. The 2014 World’s Best Pastry Chef award from the World’s 50 Best Restaurants cement his global recognition.
The second contribution is the multi-venture pastry portfolio across Rocambolesc ice cream parlours, Casa Cacao chocolate, and the 2026 Rocambolesc 2.0 launch with Alejandra Rivas. The portfolio represents one of the more substantial pastry-chef-led consumer-products operations of the past decade.
The third contribution is the equilateral-triangle three-brother partnership with Joan Roca and Josep Roca. Within the global pastry-chef cohort Jordi sits alongside peers as one of the most-recognised pastry chefs of his generation, alongside the broader Catalan and Spanish chef cohort including Martin Berasategui.
Jordi Roca FAQ
What does Jordi Roca do at El Celler de Can Roca?
Jordi Roca is the pastry chef at El Celler de Can Roca, having joined the family operation in 1997 at age 19. He completes the equilateral-triangle three-brother partnership alongside elder brother Joan (head chef) and Josep (sommelier), and has led the restaurant’s celebrated dessert programme for more than 28 years.
Did Jordi Roca win World’s Best Pastry Chef?
Yes. Jordi Roca was named World’s Best Pastry Chef by the World’s 50 Best Restaurants in 2014. The award is one of the most-prestigious global pastry-chef honours and cement his recognition as one of the most-recognised pastry chefs of his generation.
What is Rocambolesc?
Rocambolesc is the imaginative ice cream parlour brand Jordi Roca co-founded in 2012 in Girona. The brand has expanded across multiple Spanish locations and became one of the more distinctive pastry-chef-led consumer-products operations of the past decade. Rocambolesc 2.0 launches in 2026 with Alejandra Rivas, with Alimentaria presentations scheduled for March 2026.
What is Casa Cacao?
Casa Cacao is Jordi Roca’s chocolate brand, co-founded in 2017. The brand operates as both a chocolate-maker venture and as a chocolate hotel-and-experience venue in Girona, and represents Jordi’s expansion of pastry-chef craft into the chocolate-making world.
How young was Jordi when he joined El Celler de Can Roca?
Nineteen. Jordi joined El Celler de Can Roca as pastry chef in 1997 at age 19, more than a decade after his elder brothers Joan and Josep had opened the restaurant in 1986. He has continued in the pastry-chef role for more than 28 years and is the youngest of the three Roca brothers in the partnership.
What is next for Jordi Roca
Rocambolesc 2.0 launches with Alejandra Rivas in 2026, with Alimentaria presentations scheduled for March 2026. El Celler de Can Roca continues with three Michelin stars in Girona through 2026. Brunch Electronik Festival creative collaboration continues. His public Instagram (@jordirocasanmiguel) is the best source for current updates.
