Tête à Tête with BelleBarcelone #3: Avant-garde Annette, always a step forward.

Annette Abstoss: citizen of the world, born and raised in the USA, she continued her studies in Salzburg and landed in Barcelona in 1992. 

Her vocation: all the ingredients used in gastronomy.  

She started making her own BBQ sauce Bonanza and her brand became quite successful. She was buying her ingredients at Mercabarna and she was the weird blonde American; she started  building a good circle of friends and started to work in Fruits Guzman. 

1992 was the year Barcelona was ready for changes, and Annette was here, she introduced many avant-garde teaching concepts and has assisted many prestigious chef with her knowledge. 

In 2005 she was the creator and co-organizer of Cuine Asia in CosmoCaixa, where she displayed her appreciation for Asian cuisine: China, Japan, Thailand and India were present. Julie Sahni or Ferran Adria were some of the chefs present.

In 2007 she combined all her vocations and created the Abstoss World Gastronomy where she offers services such as food hunting, marketing, the hidden secrets behind unique ingredients.  

She is an expert in ingredients and impart classes at the EPGB and the Basque Culinary center among other specialised classes. She also organises culinary experiences where she travels with established chefs in Asia. Her 1st trip was to Honk Kong with 26 chefs, and recently she has just come back from Japan where they participated in classes at the Hattori school,   visited the biggest fish market in the world, learned the secrets behind the tea ceremony and did some gastroshopping. Check her page for all the classes, gastrotrips and more here.

She also is the ambassador of Kopper Cress and Maldon Salt in Spain and Asia. 

She knows all the secrets behind the most exclusive ingredients. 

I met her, between her busy schedule,  at Fishhh, in  L'Illa mall, where she is a co-partner. They specialise in seafood and they are open till quite late, even when the mall closes. They  organise private events with DJ sessions. They also own the oyster bars in town, present in some of the Tragaluz restaurants; and can turn up into your private parties. 

Annette is a  fun and smart person; very busy and loving it;  she loves disconnecting while reading or walking.