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Brindisa Tapas has appointed Angel Zapata Martin as its new Chef Director, bringing one of London’s leading Spanish chefs back to the city to join the restaurant group.

Born in Barcelona, Zapata Martin joins Brindisa with more than 20 years’ experience across leading kitchens and hospitality groups in Spain, London and internationally. Most recently Executive Chef at Grupo Mambo in Ibiza, he previously spent seven years 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.

Having first met Brindisa Founder Monika Linton in 2017 while working at Barrafina, Zapata Martin’s relationship with the business has developed over many years. Throughout his time at Harts Group, Angel regularly sourced ingredients from Brindisa and maintained a close relationship with the sales team, giving him a longstanding understanding of the business and its role in London’s Spanish food scene. His appointment now brings that relationship full circle, with Angel joining the business he has known for many years, this time from the other side of the pass.

The appointment marks an important next step for Brindisa as it looks to build on its existing heritage. With deep roots in Spain and a longstanding focus on Spanish producers and ingredients, Zapata Martin will bring his experience, Catalan background and international perspective to the group, exploring the breadth of contemporary Spanish cooking. This will include looking beyond the traditional expectations of tapas, with a focus on Spanish home cooking, regional dishes, seasonal produce and the connection between food, ingredients and the people behind them.

Angel will work closely with Brindisa’s producer network to explore new ideas while maintaining the relationships and foundations that have shaped the business since its beginnings.

“I am so thrilled to welcome Angel to Brindisa. With his roots firmly set in Catalunya and Mediterranean Spain we can share what I learnt and loved working there as a chef de partie in Begur and then as a teacher in this region where I stayed for 3 years before I co-founded Brindisa in 1988,” said Monika Linton. “I have known Angel since 2017 and have watched his career develop. 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.”

The relationship between Linton and Zapata Martin has continued beyond their professional connection, with shared links to Spain and The Balearic Islands and a mutual connection to the Spanish food community. When Angel left Barrafina, Monika made the journey to see him on his final day, reflecting the longstanding personal relationship they had developed over the years.

Zapata Martin said: “Brindisa has always been a brand I have admired. 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.”

Zapata Martin began his career in Barcelona, with roles at Escola d’Hostaleria Hofmann and later Ossiano in Dubai under three-Michelin-starred chef Santi Santamaria, before moving to Ibiza and working at Destino Pacha Ibiza Luxury Resort. He also worked as a private chef and consultant across Ibiza, Saint-Tropez and Megève. From 2017 to 2024, he was Chef Director of Barrafina and Parrillan at Harts Group, before most recently working as Executive Chef at Grupo Mambo in Ibiza.

His appointment follows Kelly Richardson’s appointment as Managing Director, who is building his senior team with Adrian Castro now appointed as Beverage Director, Vish Vakani continuing as Operations Director, Thibault Bouclier as Operations Manager and Flori Porja as Kitchen Operations Manager, who will lead the site teams on the ground.

As Brindisa looks ahead to its next decade, Angel will play a key role across its food, kitchens and sites, strengthening the connection between its long-established network of Spanish producers and its kitchens while bringing new ideas and perspectives to a business with more than three decades of relationships at its core.