Álvaro Costa, a native of Famalicão, born in the parish of Pousada de Saramagos and currently executive chef of FC Porto's A team, is the next resident chef at the experimental kitchen of the Praça - Famalicão Municipal Market, succeeding Lígia Santos.
The presentation of the new Chef will take place on January 15th, at 15h00, with Álvaro Costa preparing a showcooking of Rabbit in a Pumpkin. The initiative will be broadcast live on the social networks of the Praça's Facebook (@praca.mercadofamalicao) and of the Municipality of Famalicão (@municipiodevnfamalicao). Chefs Lígia Santos and Renato Cunha will be accompanying Álvaro Costa.
It should be noted that the Experimental Kitchen space dedicated to the promotion of workshops, tastings, showcookings, etc., serves as a tool for an attractive gastronomic programme, constituting a place for experimentation and learning, in which the mission of the Municipal Market is valued, not only as a business space (exchange market), but also as a place for socializing (meeting market), which encourages open and transversal learning (knowledge market).
In a context where more and more people travel in search of a differentiating gastronomic offer, the "Chef Resident" programme was created, which consists of a year-long collaboration with a chef from the region, who will accompany and advise on the annual programme of the Market. The role of resident chef is assumed by a renowned chef of the region, with a deep connection to its gastronomy and territory. This will be the main face of the animation program and the main curator of the Municipal Market.
After Chef Lígia Santos had been the first professional responsible for the dynamics of the experimental kitchen, Chef Álvaro Costa will follow in 2022 and in 2023 Chef Renato Cunha.
A self-confessed cook, oenophile and gastronome, Álvaro Costa is also an enthusiast of music, travelling and Portuguese national gastronomy, and is passionate about communication.
He developed functions in hotels and restaurants as cook in Le Méridien Porto, Sheraton Porto, Cala Rossa (Corsica), Le Kilina Hotel & Relais Villas (Corsica), and later as Executive Chef in República da Cerveja and Café Bogani (Gaia), Pestana Porto, Pestana Porto Santo, Palácio do Freixo, Hotéis do Boim Jesus, Hotel NH Colection Porto and Porto Palácio Hotel.
As a teacher, he taught history of gastronomy at the School of Tourism and Telecommunications in Seia, history of gastronomy at ISLA and Universidade Lusófona, and cookery at Universidade Portucalense. He is currently teaching as an external trainer at the Hotel and Tourism School of Viana do Castelo, Enogastronomy, Raw material technology, among other technical modules.
He has been a speaker in numerous events, participated as a guest chef of demonstration in the Forum of Girona 2008, in various editions of the Porto Wine Fest, Vinho Verde Wine Fest, 12 in Network of the Historical Villages of Portugal, Alentejo daas Gastronomias Mediterrânicas, Jerusalem Portuguese Week.