Ambivium gets the Green Michelin Star and its chef Cristóbal Muñoz receives the Young Chef Award

Alma Carraovejas' gastronomic project has been awarded this year with the Green Star, in recognition of its sustainability philosophy. Its commitment to environmental and energy impact, and various initiatives such as carbon footprint measurement, water consumption reduction or recycling are some of the actions that complement its culinary excellence. For the second year, the Young Chef Award rewards the young talent of our gastronomy. Michelin highlighted Cristóbal Muñoz's creativity, with which he achieves the perfect harmony between the solid and the liquid.  Ambivium is renewing its Michelin Star for the third year in a row, being part of the most prestigious restaurants in Spain and Portugal awarded by the red guide for using the highest quality ingredients, preparing dishes with different flavours and for constantly maintaining their high standards.

Peñafiel (Valladolid), November 22th, 2022.- Restaurante Ambivium has been recognised with the Green Star at the Michelin Awards ceremony held at the Toledo Congress Centre "El Greco", where it has also renewed its Michelin Star for a third year in a row. Its Cellarium tasting menu is a tribute to the methods of food preservation employed in its seasonal dishes, with unique pairings that emerge from the creativity of a team inspired by the liquid part. Cristóbal Muñoz, the 31-year-old chef, has won the Young Chef Award, a prize he was thrilled to receive, in addition to the Chef of the Year 2023 Competition and the Le Cordon Bleu Haute Cuisine Promises in its first edition. He is a restless, creative and methodical chef who ambitiously takes on the challenge of creating dishes with personality through a product-oriented cuisine. His creations are a tribute to the territory, always highlighting the origin.

"We are very grateful for the Green Star we have received. For us, sustainability is more than a commitment: it is our day-to-day work; it is a stretch of the road that we still have a long way to go. In the restaurant, as in Alma Carraovejas' other projects, our respect for the environment is part of our philosophy, of the effort we make to take measures in the present that will be reflected in the future. It was very exciting to see Cristóbal Muñoz receiving the Young Chef Award, a prize for his effort and tenacity.” says Pedro Ruiz, Alma Carraovejas and Ambivium. 

Cristóbal Muñoz, admitted during the Michelin gala that he had not expected the Young Chef Award, although he had been dreaming about it for a long time. "Twelve years of effort is nothing, there is still a long way to go, a long career, enthusiasm, effort, passion and sacrifice for our profession". Surprised, moved and grateful, he sent a hug to the Ambivium and Alma team and, of course, to his family "who must be jumping at home". 

Gastronomic Sustainability

The Michelin Guide gives its Green Star to restaurants that are role model in terms of sustainable gastronomy, that respect the rhythms of nature and strive to innovate by carrying out initiatives that preserve the environment through resource management and waste disposal. Since 2019, Ambivium has reduced its CO2 emissions by 7%, when it joined the #ForTheClimate Hospitality community, recognising the climate challenge ahead of us. During 2021, the restaurant has been supplied with 29% of energy from renewable sources generated on its own premises, thanks to photovoltaic solar panels and biomass boilers. In addition, from next year, two electric vehicle chargers will be available to customers, thus promoting more environmentally friendly mobility. It is also a commitment to society that begins with the employees. It has been certified as a Family-Responsible Company with a level of excellence in conciliation, seeking balance and respect between personal, family and work life.

Guests at the restaurant enjoy a journey around the world, discovering landscapes and regions through unique pairings. This journey begins in Pago de Carraovejas winery, in Peñafiel, where Ambivium is located. At every step you can see the constant compromise with sustainability with processes and actions that minimise its activity's negative impact and that take care of the environment. These are measures that express respect for nature, such as the use of local water, the compost station that is fed with generated waste, or the small organic garden where vegetables and aromatic herbs are grown. Everyday products, such as glass and corks, are reused and recycled in each service. In addition, they have started to produce their own honey, from the bees that have their home in the area around the restaurant.

Silvia Téllez, Sustainability Director at Alma Carraovejas, was delighted and proud of the Green Star. "We believe that the Guide has taken into account our strong commitment to sustainability. As part of Pago de Carraovejas winery, Ambivium restaurant calculates and audits its carbon footprint annually, and is committed to progressively reducing its greenhouse gas emissions, with the future goal of being Net Zero by 2050. One of the many challenges we set to preserve our environment, in addition to others such as the recently achieved Gold category, the highest awarded by the International Wineries for Climate Action Association (IWCA)". 

Ambivium

Ambivium is Alma Carraovejas' gastronomic project in Peñafiel. From its origins in March 2017, it offers a different experience around wine. Pedro Ruiz decided to launch it with the intention of creating a new concept of union between cuisine and wine, between tradition and innovation, and to become a gastronomic reference in the area. The journey through the world of wine begins in the new Ambivium Wine Cellar, located opposite the restaurant, and then continues through its laboratory of pairings, its kitchen and its dining room, which is home to a glassware collection with more than fifty different stemware models. Every detail of the Ambivium experience aims to create unique memories that will last in the memory of those who enjoy it.