Four catering establishments in Limburg, four in Dubai and, as of June 1, in Ibiza. Hasselt-based Creneau International is opening a restaurant with Roca House for more than two hundred guests. In the kitchen: Former star chef from Limburg: Bart Thulin from Wellen, who left the glamorous world of Dubai behind after 8 years and now goes to seek his fortune in Ibiza.
It's Bart Canini, CEO of Creneau International in Hasselt, who is fulfilling his dream of starting a business in Ibiza, the place where he started his career. Because when he was a young man in his twenties, a Genk resident won a plane ticket to Ibiza, where he happened to meet the boss of Crino. Bart was offered a job there, and lo and behold, over 20 years later, he's still working at the Hasselt design agency, now serving as CEO.
With the establishment of Roca House in Ibiza, his circle has been completed. Because after Maison Mathis and Trentanove in Hasselt, Terland in Dilsen-Stokkem, Le Petit Belge in Maasmechelen Village and four catering establishments in Dubai, Canini starts from the place where he signed his first contract.
At the stove of the new restaurant: Bart Thoelen, the famous chef who began his career as a 12-year-old at Traiteur Rosa in Wellen, then gained experience at De Belig by Benny Serdons. This led him to several top restaurants, eventually earning a Michelin star for his own work in the south of France. He then tried his hand at cooking in several locations around the world, including the last 8 years in Dubai. He was, among other things, the chef of the Belgian Pavilion during Expo 2020 (photo). Previously, he had also helped Robin Robbins start Atelier V.
And now he has ended his adventure in Dubai to go to Ibiza for Crino. “We will look for products and suppliers here in the coming months and then finalize the list,” he says. “We will go back to traditional cuisine. It will be Ibiza style, but not Spanish style. It will be Mediterranean style. We especially want a nice atmosphere. It has to remain accessible to everyone, so everyone is welcome.”
Roca House is scheduled to open in June. In the summer months, when there are many Belgians in Ibiza, the tent must be fully operational. Bart and Bart are really keen…
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