They met in 1989 when Joan went to give a lecture at the university where Anna was studying Tourism. Since then the careers of Joan Roca and Anna Payet cannot be understood as separate entities. Joan, who heads up the kitchen of one of the world's best restaurants, and Anna, who manages its events and also Casa Cacao. Today their talk at FéminAs focused on the latter, the boutique hotel she runs in Girona city centre.

Before the details of the project were explained, Joan Roca provided some context. “This project arose from tenacity and hard work by Anna, the world's best manager”. This was how the chef of El Celler de Can Roca*** (Girona), acclaimed as the world's best restaurant in 2013 and 2015, expressed his thanks to his wife for her hard work, and also to Vocento for organising the congress: “It's important, necessary, and right, because women are the key component of many catering businesses like ours". He added "our business is 50% female, but not because of any search for parity. The women are there because of their talent”. 

Payet took the floor to provide some details of Casa Cacao, a hotel she opened in February 2020 in Girona city centre, which also has a shop and a chocolate-making facility run by Jordi Roca. “It arose from the need to provide accommodation for El Celler's customers, and it's expanded with more of them”, she explained. With its 15 rooms (three suites and twelve junior suites) and artisan furnishings (“with a lot of brown for chocolate and grey, so typical of Girona”), Casa Cacao – a plastic-free establishment - lays on one of the city's best brunches.

She also pointed out to the congress that women accounted for 75% of the hotel's staff. Joan could be heard behind her, saying: "It's not parity. It's talent”.