We conclude the interview with our chef Rubén Cabrera by delving deeper into the foundations that have shaped his way of working in the culinary world.

What was your formula for earning the respect of those around you inside and outside the kitchen?

Respect is achieved by being a good professional because, no matter how good a person you are, friendly, with a tough character, and in many other ways you can be as a person, if you are not a professional in the kitchen, people won’t respect you because they say, “This guy has no idea.” I believe that the most important thing is to educate yourself and be a leader with knowledge because otherwise, it’s very complicated.

Do you think incentives improve performance? If so, what do you use?

Incentives are always good, and financially, it’s better—it’s what motivates people the most. Also, occasionally, a pat on the back is appreciated; not everything is about money, but I think the balance between the two is the best.

How do you deal with problematic workers? And how do you make them a valuable contribution?

No, we directly remove problematic individuals and look for people who know how to be more. It’s a problem because if you have a problematic personality, it won’t change; it will continue to be problematic. And in the end, our job is not to educate but to train, meaning you remove the problematic person and look for someone who fits the profile you are looking for.

When do you put your team before yourself? In success or failure?

Well, in success, you always put them first because they also like to feel valued. For example, when we received the Sol award, we all appeared in the photo, whereas in failure, only the leader is there. So, it’s like football coaches, when they win, it’s the players, and when they get fired, it’s the coaches. It’s the same here; when there’s a complaint in the restaurant, the team comes out unscathed, but the leader is the one who gets scolded.

You’ve already met chef Rubén Cabrera on a professional level, but now you’ll discover the personal and emotional side. Don’t miss the story of our chef and everything he wants to tell us about the team working at La Cúpula restaurant.

Tell us a little about yourself, about the story that brought you here.

I started at the Hotel Jardines de Nivaria in 1998 in the central kitchen. There I learnt the basics and the first steps. Little by little I worked my way up, until in 2007 I was offered a job at La Cúpula restaurant and I’ve been here ever since.

I had to start training in different areas, as well as taking part in almost all the national cooking competitions until I won the Spanish Championship, La Gamba Roja de Dénia. Just last year we received the first Sol from the prestigious Repsol Guide and I have also been nominated for best chef of the Canary Islands eight times, which I won only once and well, that’s a bit of my story here in the restaurant.

What are your long-term goals?

I’m not a person who looks at the long-term, I look at the present, to be happy with what I do and live day by day. To be happy today and tomorrow, because what good is it to be looking at the long term when you are working unhappily?

Experience has demonstrated to me, times when I was very obsessed with objectives, that sometimes things happen when they want them to and not when you want them to, so you get into a loop of something that doesn’t depend on you.

Is being the leader in the restaurant “La Cúpula” your greatest achievement?

No, I don’t think it is my greatest achievement because I feel that there are more important things than work, such as family, personal growth and living day by day.

Can you define your team in one word?

One word is not enough, but the team is always hard-working and competent.

What do you feel when you see your team working? Pride, joy, peace…?

If they are doing well, you feel pride, you say: “They are professionals… they are doing so well… this is like silk“, but in the kitchen it’s different, you only notice when you see something wrong, that’s when the alarm goes off and you start to get angry. Sometimes you see them doing amazing, they’re doing the right thing and other times you start to wonder where did this come from?

What do you feel you teach your teammates?

Well, within the team there are people who have more and less experience. So what I am going to contribute to some will be much more than to others, according to the degree of experience they have. There are those who have been in the kitchen for 20 years, those who have three, those who have one, so I bring experience, knowledge and leadership.

But it is true that there are people who have more experience, who already know directly what they have to do, and others that you have to be more on top of them to train them as professionals.

Now you know a little more about the leader of our cuisine and signature menu, would you like to meet the rest of the team?