Mareida Opening: Gastronomy as a reflection of Chile's export, cultural and productive wealth in the UK
The Chilean restaurant, owned by entrepreneur and award winner Prenay, opened this week in London, with the support of ProChile. It is located on Great Portland Street in Fitzrovia.
The Chilean restaurant Mareida opened its doors to the international public in London on June 14th. Located on Great Portland Street in Fitzrovia, the culinary concept was created by Indian businessman Prenay Agarwal, who, married to the Chilean Benjamin Figari, decided to boost Chilean cuisine to create an immersive experience where food, drink, decor, and service make a full impact on the British city.
"After spending many months in Chile and discovering what the country offers, my husband and my Chilean family were excited to create a space to represent it," said Prenay Award, adding that "we saw this as an opportunity to share the gastronomic culture with a global audience, also representing this new generation of Chilean chefs who make amazing dishes with traditional ingredients and preparations. Beyond gastronomy, it was essential to represent the talent of the country, from sound and design to fashion and wines."
The menu, designed by renowned chefs Carolina Bazán and Trinidad Della Maggiora, is inspired by the diverse landscapes and traditions of the Chilean regions, from milcao with Chilean caviar, to jaiba chowder. Meanwhile, desserts are made by award-winning pastry chef Gustavo Sáez, also recognized by The World's 50 Best for Latin America, with recipes ranging from a crumb cake with condensed milk, raspberry jam and cream, to a combination of merkén ice cream with chocolate ganache and peanut sable.
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The landing of Mareida in London has been the result of a meticulous and extensive process, as not only the menu, wines and signature cocktails with pisco -handled by the sommelier Rosario Onetto- reflect Chilean identity; but also the restaurant's infrastructure, with capacity for 68 guests. The tables are made of native wood with copper elements, and the tiles are made with combarbalita, a semi-precious volcanic rock exclusive to Chile. The entire staging was in charge of the architect Macarena Aguilar, in collaboration with the architect Mále Uribe, and the artists Javier Toro Blum and Josefina Concha.
In this regard, the owner of Mareida highlighted that "ProChile, through its office in London, has provided incredible support since its inception, including various areas, from presentations to suppliers and investors, invitations to networking events and tasting of food and pisco, among others. We feel very fortunate to have this connection and hope that Mareida can facilitate ProChile's mission".
In this regard, the General Director of ProChile, Ignacio Fernández, added that "from the end of the world, Chile is capturing international attention in one of the most important global showcases like London, summarizing in a single great concept the talent of the teams, the quality of the ingredients and services".
He added that, "Beyond gastronomy, it incorporates a set of elements and professional support that reflects the diversity of our country. We are very proud to collaborate on this initiative because it is also an opportunity to promote the export of Chilean food to the British market".