Chef Francisco “Paco” Manzano is the first Spanish chef to participate in the Global Chef Program. We are very happy to have Spain’s participation as the country has very rich culinary traditions that are known the world over. Chef Paco looks forward to sharing the exotic flavors of Spain with our guests.

Chef Paco received his culinary training at the Esuela Superior de Hosteleria y Tourismo in Madrid, Spain. Following graduation in 1994, he spent the first several years of his career honing his craft at some of Madrid’s leading hotels and catering firms. In 2002, Chef Paco was hired by Sodexo Spain as the Executive Chef at the Universidad Europea de Madrid – UEM (The European University of Madrid). Over the past 8 years, Chef Paco has led the culinary team at UEM, one of Spain’s most prestigious international universities, where they serve a truly global student body.

Chef Paco looks forward to serving some of the truly representative and traditional recipes from the various regions of Spain. These traditional dishes include Paella (a dish made with rice, saffron, seafood and vegetables), the Spanish omelet, and Gazpacho soup.

Chef Paco’s passions (aside from cooking) include spending time with his wife and young child, football (soccer) and nature. He is an active member of the Madrid civil defense and disaster relief agency.