Brindisa Tapas Names Angel Zapata Martin Chef Director

Brindisa Tapas has appointed Angel Zapata Martin as Chef Director, returning one of London's leading Spanish chefs to the city after his most recent role as Executive Chef at Grupo Mambo in Ibiza.

The Barcelona-born chef brings more than 20 years of experience across Spain, London and international kitchens. From 2017 to 2024, he served as Chef Director of Barrafina and Parrillan at Harts Group, where he played a key role in the Dean Street Barrafina maintaining its Michelin star. His earlier career includes Escola d'Hostaleria Hofmann in Barcelona, Ossiano in Dubai under three-Michelin-starred chef Santi Santamaria, Destino Pacha Ibiza Luxury Resort, and private chef and consulting work across Ibiza, Saint-Tropez and Megève.

The appointment formalizes a relationship that dates to 2017, when Zapata Martin first met Brindisa Founder Monika Linton while working at Barrafina. Throughout his years at Harts Group, he sourced ingredients from Brindisa and worked closely with its sales team, giving him a longstanding understanding of the business and its role in London's Spanish food scene. Linton was present on his final day at Barrafina, reflecting a personal connection built through shared links to Spain and the Balearic Islands.

What does the appointment change for the menu?

Zapata Martin will lead food, kitchens and sites across the group as it plans its next decade. His remit includes pushing beyond traditional expectations of tapas toward Spanish home cooking, regional dishes and seasonal produce, working directly with Brindisa's long-established network of Spanish producers. For a group whose supply chain is its heritage — Linton co-founded Brindisa in 1988 after three years working as a chef de partie in Begur and then as a teacher in the region — the chef's Catalan background and producer relationships tie menu development directly to sourcing.

"I am so thrilled to welcome Angel to Brindisa," Linton said. "He understands where we have come from, but he also brings the experience and curiosity to help us think about where we go next. We want the next few years to be exciting, and Angel is an important part of that."

"Brindisa has always been a brand I have admired," Zapata Martin said. "I have a lot of respect for Monika and what she has built, and many very good memories of our time in the Spanish food community in London. I am excited to join the business, bring my experience to the team and, together with Monika, explore what the next chapter can look like."

Who else sits on the senior team?

The hire follows Kelly Richardson's appointment as Managing Director, who is assembling a new leadership bench:

• Adrian Castro — Beverage Director
• Vish Vakani — Operations Director (continuing)
• Thibault Bouclier — Operations Manager
• Flori Porja — Kitchen Operations Manager, leading site teams on the ground

With a Michelin-starred kitchen pedigree now paired with a rebuilt operations structure, Brindisa enters its next decade positioned to convert more than 30 years of Spanish producer relationships into an evolved, regional Spanish menu across its sites.