Ferran ‘Nandu’ Jubany (Monistrol de Calders, Barcelona; 53 years old) is one of the most in-demand amateurs of the 47th edition of the Dakar Rally, the sixth in Saudi Arabia. His caravan companions ask him for some cured meat or “cow ham,” the same one that helped him overcome the meager military rations of the 48-hour stage; His colleagues from the KH7 squad, one of the longest sponsors of the Dakar, are rubbing their hands for the feast that awaits them on the rest day in Hail, where they plan to prepare a popular paella in the heart of the bivouac. As if that were not enough, he traveled to Saudi Arabia with a shipment of nougat. Normal, then, that everyone looks for him after days and days of community dining: we are talking about a chef with a Michelin star, 10 successful restaurants and one of the most requested catering companies in Catalonia.
“I was always very fond of motors, and I didn’t miss a single day of the Dakar on TV. Obviously, I always wanted to be one of those pilots who navigated the dunes,” the chef explains to Morning Express. Jubany is 35th with his two-wheel drive (4×2) MD Optimus and is one of the best-placed Spaniards in cars after the defeat of several of the favorites in this super tough start to the rally. In her category, the one that Laia Sanz wanted to win, she is in a very competitive third place, especially considering that she is making her debut on four wheels. “When I completed the Dakar on a motorcycle in 2018 it was a dream come true, but I also realized how hard and dangerous it is. Those who ride motorcycles are true superheroes,” he states.
The much higher costs of participating by car made it very difficult for him to return to the race. The bug, amidst his busy life in the kitchen, continued to call him every January. And he bought a car at the request of Pep Vila, one of the friends who helped him in this adventure, as well as illustrious people like Nani Roma, Gerard Farrés and a luxury co-driver like Marc Solà. Seven years after his first participation, Jubany has been able to return to the desert, to enjoy and resist on his “vacation”.
For him, success in haute cuisine and one of the toughest competitions on the planet go hand in hand. “In the end you need to have a good team, prepare everything very well and go to detail so that nothing fails. In the kitchen, as in the Dakar, you must prepare physically, study the location and the action plan. Preparing a successful menu is very similar to preparing the Dakar,” he points out. Like any cook, not even in his free time can he avoid feeding those around him and acting, de facto, as the most requested restaurant in the bivouac. “We have taken a van loaded with goods, and friends like Nani and a few others pass by here. It’s true that I can’t open the door to everyone, because otherwise me and Marc, who eat a lot, would run out of food,” he says while laughing.
Despite his status as an amateur and a debutant on four wheels, Jubany is ambitious and aims to try to finish among the top 25. “Beating the professionals is very difficult, of course, but I am ambitious and at the very least I want to be one of the best amateurs in the event,” he says. Passionate about motorcycles since he was a child, an accident initially frustrated his idea of becoming a pilot. Quickly, that boy knew how to redirect his life in the kitchen. At the age of 18 he was already head chef at Urbisol, his family’s restaurant, and then he took off after training in the kitchens of Juan Mari Arzak and Martín Berasategui. At the age of 23, in 1995, he opened Can Jubany, and in 1998 he already had the Michelin star thanks to his tireless work with Anna Orte, his partner. “I have been lucky that life has gone well for me thanks to cooking, and thanks to that I can now feel like a pilot, as I always wanted when I was little.”
The family, who know very well his concerns and hobbies, now take solace in the greater security of competing in the rally by car. “They see it much better than when I went on a motorcycle, anything can happen to you in a car, but it is much more difficult to get really hurt,” he concludes. Jubany was 53rd in his Dakar debut on a motorcycle in 2018, a test that left him bruised before and after. He suffered a serious injury during preparation for the 2017 edition, one of his several frustrated attempts, and when he crossed the finish line in Córdoba (Argentina), in the penultimate South American edition of the event, he said he had had enough. Until now.
