Alba Sunyer Ollé

Black and white portrait of a woman wearing glasses and a uniform with a logo and name tag that reads "Alba."

She is born and raised in the small Catalan town of Sallent, (Barcelona), where she grew up believing that culinary heritage is not only something we inherit, it is something we choose to keep alive.

She grew up learning how to cook with the excitement of the seasons, to value the ingredients that grow close to us, and to appreciate the people whose hands make every harvest possible. In Catalonia, food is a reflection of our landscape in every season, our history, and our traditions. It is, without a doubt, our identity, just like our language, Catalan.

When she married into a family that owned a restaurant in the heart of Barcelona, just steps from La Boqueria Market, she discovered another dimension of gastronomy. She witnessed how a restaurant can become much more than a place to eat; it can become an institution that protects traditions, celebrates local producers, and brings communities together. Looking back, she realize how fortunate I was to belong to the family of  El Turia. Back then, I was lucky enough to meet the future world-class stars of the culinary world, the Adrià brothers, the Escribà crew, and the majority of the actual Catalan Michelin-Starred chefs, and developing close relationship with the farmers at the market.

In 2008, when she moved to the United States, she made it her mission to introduce Catalan gastronomy to a wider audience. Through her cookbook The Catalan Table, masterclasses at culinary schools, and collaborations with leading culinary institutions, she have dedicated her career to sharing not only the flavors of Catalonia, but also the culture, the history, the context, and innovation that have made Catalonia one of the world's great gastronomic destinations.

She founded The Mediterranean Corner in Greenville, South Carolina; a successful team-building event company based on Catalan cuisine experiences.

Alba was the Director of the International Culinary Programs at Joviat Culinary Academy, she created a Traditional Catalan Cuisine International program offered worldwide. Today, she is the ambassador of CETT - UNIVERSITAT DE BARCELONA in the US, one of the the best Hospitality and Culinary Arts institutions in Europe. Her editorial background goes from writing food columns at El Nacional to authoring the best seller book The Catalan Table, a traditional Catalan Cuisine book. The Catalan Table is more than a recipe book, its content is heavy in history, traditions, wine pairings, and personal experiences, a great contextualization of the Catalan Gastronomy. The book was published in Catalan, English and Spanish by Parcir and Larousse publishers in 2022 and 2023.  The book is endorsed by the best 30 Catalan chefs, including Ferran Adrià, Albert Adrià, José Andrés, Virgilio Martínez, Gastón Acurio, Carme Ruscalleda, Joan Roca, Hermanos Torres, and twenty more. The forward is written by Colman Andrews, journalist and the first Catalan food expert in US in the history.

Today, she teaches Catalan Cuisine History at the American Culinary Schools nationwide. Alba works as a consultant for American chefs who want to learn and implement Catalan Cuisine in their menus, and collaborates as a chef consultant for the Catalan American Council.

Last but not least, Alba is one of the chefs of #CatalanFood (PRODECA, CATALONIA GOVERNMENT) a new world-wide movement prmoting Catalan food. She is a great ambassador of Catalan Food in the US.