BBVA and the Roca brothers extend their global partnership to 2027 following a decade of close-knit collaboration as brand ambassadors

BBVA Chair Carlos Torres Vila and Joan Roca, chef and co-owner (along with his brothers, Josep and Jordi) of El Celler de Can Roca, showcased the good rapport between both companies during a meeting in Barcelona with the bank’s customers. “We have been working hand-in-hand with the Roca brothers on interesting projects that have taught us important lessons. Initiatives we want to continue growing in the coming years thanks to the professionalism and excellence of the entire family on the El Celler de Can Roca team,” said the BBVA Chair.

The BBVA Chair also underscored the track record of El Celler de Can Roca, a Catalan family business that has become an international point of reference. “The Roca brothers are a clear example of the powerful business community in Catalonia, with highly competitive companies that have made a major mark on their sectors worldwide,” he said. “At BBVA, we support the Catalan business community. We are firmly committed to this region, and will continue to support it in the future,” he added.

Meanwhile, Joan Roca has defined the relationship with the bank over the years as a journey of “shared and constantly evolving” growth. We were very lucky - lucky that a bank like BBVA believed in and supported the idea of three unconventional, courageous and even audacious brothers. Somehow we kept moving forward, creating the restaurant that continues to exist 40 years later,” said the chef from El Celler de Can Roca. “In the next three years, we plan to continue exploring new and exciting projects with BBVA, with the aim of having a positive impact,” he added.

Since the outset of their partnership, BBVA and El Celler de Can Roca have shared the same fundamental pillars in their strategies: innovation, sustainability and customer support. The first project that sealed this alliance was a three-year international tour that brought the kitchen from the Girona-based restaurant across the Americas, Europe and Asia, paying homage to local cuisine at every stop. A model that was adapted three years later to pay gastronomical tribute to the different regions of Spain. The scholarship program associated with the tour was a fundamental component of the project’s success. It was a unique opportunity to discover promising, up-and-coming chefs and boost small producers in each country visited on the tour, who were able to carry out their own initiatives and improve the local environment.

This concern for supporting small producers led to the creation of the BBVA Awards for the Best Sustainable Producers in Spain. The five editions of the awards have recognized the work of 46 farmers, ranchers and food producers in general, who stand out for applying environmental sustainability in their production models, and for promoting rural development, generational renewal and social impact.

With sustainability as one of BBVA’s six strategic pillars, and the Roca brothers’ commitment to a gastronomy in which small, local producers and seasonal ingredients are the foundation of their culinary creations, a synergy has been formed to promote responsible, locally-sourced consumption, and a healthy diet.

In parallel, BBVA and the Roca brothers have carried out various significant documentary projects (‘Cooking Up A Tribute’, 'El heladero del Himalaya’, ‘El sentido del cacao’, ‘Seeds for the future’); editorial endeavors (‘Casa Cacao’, ‘Raíces’); exhibitions (‘De la Tierra a la Luna’) and high-impact projects, such as the menus for the 2018 Oscars and COP25 in Madrid. The strong relationship between the bank and the Roca brothers was even reflected in two creations: the ‘Icephone’ ice cream by Jordi Roca, dedicated to BBVA, and a dish paying homage to the bank’s new identity in 2019.