Son Bunyola Hotel & Villas appoints Samuel G. Galdón as Executive Chef

Son Bunyola Hotel & Villas, Sir Richard Branson’s 1,300-acre estate in the Tramuntana mountain region of Mallorca, is delighted to announce the appointment of Samuel G. Galdón as Executive Chef to the brand-new Son Bunyola Hotel, opening on 16th June 2023, and its three stunning showcase villas.

Originally from Cáceres, Extremadura, in Spain, Michelin-star-trained Samuel has a strong and personal connection with Mallorca, having begun his successful career on the island, working alongside the pioneering German chef, and his mentor, Josef Sauerschell at what was then, Sir Richard Branson’s La Residencia in Deia. Some years later, the pair embarked upon a new project together in Deia, with the Michelin-starred Es Raco des Teix.

With an extensive background in contemporary haute cuisine, Samuel has worked alongside some of the world’s best Michelin-starred chefs, such as Raymond Blanc at Le Manoir aux Quat'Saisons, Eckart Witzigmann and Roland Trettl at Ca's Xorc and Cas Puers, Marc Fosh at Reads Hotel in Mallorca and Jean-Louis Neichel at Restaurant Neichel in Barcelona.

Before returning to Mallorca, he spent highly successful periods working in China and Ibiza and held roles at Yi Luxury Boutique Hotel Tianjín, Shangri-La in Shanghai and Pacha Group Hotels & Resorts in Ibiza. He also launched his own restaurant, La'Era Ibiza, where he perfected the ‘farm to table’ concept and a highly personal way of cooking that he will proudly be bringing to the cuisine at Son Bunyola Hotel & Villas.

Samuel commented: “Many years ago I decided to make cooking my way of life and today I express absolutely everything through the food I create. My thoughts, my fears, my joys, my failures, and my successes are the catalysts for how I envision my dishes and I love nothing more than when all this comes together in a beautiful dish.

“I could not be more excited to become the first Executive Chef for the new Son Bunyola Hotel and I look forward to welcoming our future guests with some of the very freshest and best cuisine throughout the whole of Mallorca. The expansive natural environment of the estate was a natural draw for me and I’m particularly excited about further developing our own gardens and creating delicious contemporary and playful dishes with a specific emphasis on the estate’s own fruit and vegetable produce, wild-growing herbs, and the abundant fresh fish and seafood that bathes the coast of Son Bunyola.”

In his new role as Executive Chef, Samuel’s vision is to create authentic, yet elevated Mallorcan dishes that marry perfectly with the hotel’s architecture and historic past, as a 16th century Finca with a strong agricultural pedigree. He will be ensuring that the natural produce grown in the Son Bunyola estate gardens and orchards is celebrated throughout the two restaurants in the most innovative of ways.

Vincent Padioleau, General Manager of Son Bunyola said: “We are delighted to welcome Samuel into the Son Bunyola family. He is an incredibly passionate chef, who speaks through his beautiful contemporary designed dishes, which are bursting with flavour and colour. His rich experience and enthusiasm for creating innovative farm to table cuisine perfectly aligns with our Son Bunyola philosophy, ensuring that the estate runs as sustainably as possible through the cultivation of our own ingredients; be that almonds from our own trees or honey from our beehives. It is also incredibly important to us that we limit waste as much as possible and Samuel’s ideas for using produce in its entirety as well as preserving, and fermenting seasonal ingredients are truly inspiring.”

The hotel’s main restaurant, Sa Terrassa, named for its position directly in front of the finca’s striking façade, will offer guests contemporary organic cuisine by day. Home-grown and local, seasonal produce will feature, cooked using international techniques with a focus on taste, textures and colour. At night, an optional intimate seven-course tasting menu will offer a creative and unmissable gastronomic experience, with a ‘less is more’ approach to ingredients. With restaurant Sa Tafona, housed within the historic olive press, Samuel aims to make guests smile with his playful reinvention of Spanish tapas using authentic Mallorcan ingredients.

Bookings for the new hotel are now open, ahead of its opening on 16th June 2023, adding to the estate’s three individual villas: Sa Punta de S’Aguila, Sa Terra Rotja and Son Balagueret.

For more information and to be the first to know about the developments at Son Bunyola Hotel & Villas, visit www.sonbunyola.virgin.com where you can sign up for its latest news.

--ENDS--

For further information please contact:

Naomi Moreno-Melgar
naomi.moreno@virginlimitededition.com
Tel: +44 (0) 208 600 0468

Or

Sophie James
sophie.james@virginlimitededition.com
Tel: +44 (0) 208 600 0472