Enric Rovira: “If you do what people ask you to do, that’s not creating, that’s serving”

“To create is to make new things. If you do anything because you have been asked to do it, that is not creating, that is serving. And what’s more, if you make something to please others, creativity disappears altogether.” This passionate opinion belongs to Enric Rovira, who together with Frédéric Bau, met a while ago for a curious and highly interesting dialogue, organised by Valrhona at Barcelona’s restaurant Follia (Sant Joan Despí).

In front of an audience full of illustrious professionals such as Yann Duytsche, Carles Mampel, Enric Rosich, Takashi Ochiai, Albert Badia and Toni Viñas, among others, Rovira and Bau maintained an animated discussion about the process of creativity in the world of desserts. Both produced several interesting ideas, such as the French chef citing, for example, Pierre Hermé, “it is not always necessary to invent something dazzling. Pierre Hermé found a classic but not so outstanding product such as the macaroon, renewed it and converted it into a global success.”

For Enric Rovira, the sign of a great creator is to be able to sell his creations, “the most difficult thing about creativity is to later sell what you create. Very often, the work that went into a chocolate creation goes unexplained. Behind creativity, there has to be some form of communication.”

Following this lively debate, an interesting talk was given by Jean François Dargein, director of the chain of providers, Valrhona, since 2002. The focus of his talk was his passion for finding quality products wherever he is.

Don’t miss a full report dedicated to Enric Rovira in the next edition of So Good (#13).