The grill master’s craft is undergoing a transformation within Spanish hospitality. No longer limited to commanding the embers, it now demands knowledge about product, cuts, aging, fuels, cooking techniques, and professional equipment.
This shift coincides with the rising prominence of flame-based cooking in the restaurant scene. The Michelin Guide placed the return of grilled flavors among the up-and-coming culinary trends, while the sector calls for increasingly specialized profiles capable of contributing distinctive know-how within professional kitchens.
For all these reasons, this specialization is a path for professional growth and improved employability for chefs, kitchen staff, and other hospitality professionals, as it allows them to broaden their competences, differentiate their profile, take on greater responsibilities, and access new opportunities within the sector.
In this context, the Institute for the Development of Gastronomy and Tourism (IDEGAT) has launched the second edition of its Diploma Maestro Parrillero, a training program unique in Spain for offering a complete view of the trade, spanning product knowledge and technique to equipment and business management. To translate this vision into training, the Diploma is supported by companies closely tied to professional dining, contributing specialized knowledge in the different areas that operate in the grill master’s craft.
Discarlux brings its experience in red meats, cuts, and aging; Pescaderías Coruñesas in fish and seafood; Frutas Eloy, in knowledge and selection of plant-based products; Josper, in charcoal cooking and grill equipment; Middleby España, in technology and systems for professional kitchens; and Krittikali, in presentation and service solutions. Their involvement helps translate classroom lessons into a view of the trade connected to the different phases and needs of a professional kitchen.
“Having specialized companies in the different areas involved in the grill master’s work allows us to bring to training a complete vision of the trade. The Diploma was created precisely to respond to a sector need: there wasn’t specific training that jointly addressed product knowledge, techniques, equipment, and business management. That’s why we designed a 100-hour program, intensely practical and in direct contact with active professionals, which allows participants to cover all these dimensions,” explains José Luis Nieto, president of IDEGAT.
Learning the grill from within the kitchens themselves
One of the program’s distinguishing elements is its strongly practical nature. Part of the training unfolds in restaurants and professional spaces linked to the Diploma, where students can observe the chefs of the teaching team working under real conditions, learn their techniques and criteria, and work directly with the product. The curriculum covers meats, fish and seafood, fruits and vegetables, professional techniques and equipment, and different grill cultures—from Argentine and Basque to other international influences.
But specialization does not end with technique. Business management is also a core part of restaurant work, especially in concepts where product, waste, yield, or equipment choices directly impact costs and profitability. Therefore, the program incorporates content that helps understand how to integrate charcoal cooking into a viable and well-managed business model.
The faculty brings together professionals tied to some of the most recognized flame-focused hospitality projects, including Los 33, Casa Julián de Tolosa, Txispa, Taberna de Elia, Asador Abadesa, Sagardi Group, Gurisa Group, New York Burger, among others.
