Interview with David Rivas, alma mater of TERRAE

After training in Barcelona and gaining experience working in kitchens in Norway and Hong Kong, you settled in Mallorca and established TERRAE. Is this your way of claiming that other forms of consumption are possible?

Absolutely. It's a bit extreme, but it's basically trying to show that it's possible if we deconstruct ourselves a little. It's a kind of chimera that appeals to the imagination.

And how did that impulse come about?

I think I was influenced by some excellent chefs in Scandinavia who gradually planted these ideas—sustainability, foraging in the countryside—in my head. I loved bringing this concept to the island, combining it with my South American background and experience in Asia, and using local products.

The zero waste philosophy is all about reducing waste, but in reality, making the most of everything is as old as the stew pot itself. What techniques do you use in the kitchen to minimize waste?

There are many, but one that I find very interesting is this one I learned from my grandmother. We have a jar where we keep pepper seeds, onion and garlic scraps, which we then mix with chili to ferment. Over time, the mixture breaks down and needs more vegetables added to it. Those jars serve as a spice and base for cooking other dishes later.

The TERRAE premises are also guided by sustainable principles. Where does everything around us come from?

Mostly from waste. The tables, for example, are made from wood industry waste intended for construction that we have reused.

You source your supplies from your own garden and local producers. In this age of online consumption, is it utopian to look at what's close to home and commit to circularity?

It may be utopian, but it's also possible if we all move in that direction. In fact, I think that's where the world is heading. It's a matter of time and generations to understand that this option is the best for everyone or, rather, that it will be the only option and the way forward.

Your “Omakase” menu, which means “put yourself in the chef's hands” in Japanese, invites us to let ourselves be surprised. Are we, as diners, open to letting ourselves go?

In this case, it means putting ourselves in the hands of the farmer and the producer. The menu consists of seasonal products and items that we have been processing during the winter. And yes, people are becoming more and more open to it. After all, TERRAE has established this small rule that everyone accepts because there is no other way to come here but willing to see what's on offer.

You have been featured in the Michelin and Repsol guides, and this year you have been included in the 360 Eat Guide. Do you see this as recognition of your work and that of your team?

It is recognition that we value and appreciate, but it is not really what drives us. What drives us is being more sustainable, using less plastic, having our staff work fewer hours…We are very grateful when people of such high caliber come and recognize us. Why not?

The soul of TERRAE is irreverent and optimistic. How do you envision the future on an island whose society seems to have realized that our resources are limited?

I see it with optimism because I don't think there's any other way to see the future. Awareness is the only thing that will lead us to positive development because people are going to have to realize that this is what the environment and society in general demand.

Let's finish by looking ahead. What do you expect from TERRAE in the medium to long term?

We are currently reinventing ourselves a little. We want to do different things, unlearn techniques, and develop new ones. In addition, we have launched a catering project—TERRAE Experience—to demonstrate that it is possible to be sustainable, use local products, and not generate waste in this type of business with small groups. With the same philosophy, always respecting TERRAE's values.