Joe Duggan (Reporter)
MICHELIN-STAR winning chef Diego Gallegos has thrown his weight behind the campaign to reopen La Consula catering college by joining a student ‘sleep-in’.
La Consula’s students have staged a lock-in for the past two weeks at the famous cooking school with a Junta payment of €441,000 to the college outstanding.
Brazilian-born Gallegos, whose Fuengirola restaurant El Sollo won its first Michelin star in November, attended La Consula from 2006 to 2008.
Gallegos said: “I think it’s very sad what is happening. La Consula taught me everything I know about cooking. All the people who work in my restaurant are from Consula.
“The students called me to help them and I slept there with them and the people who work there.
“They have to organise and make more noise.”
The campaign to reopen the school is being backed by Antonio Banderas as well as el Bulli owner Ferran Adria and two-Michelin-star-winning Dani Garcia.
“Of the eight Michelin stars Malaga won, five are from former La Consula students,” said Gallegos.
“Young people are inspired by that. If it closes, it would be difficult to find people to improve the food in Malaga.”
