ABOUT US
Marisa Villar Azorín
After 20 years living and working abroad in UK, Ireland and Singapore, Marisa is back in her home city of Barcelona to join Ardai and bring to the world their fantastic Spanish artisan produce.
Having worked in a traditional Catalan family restaurant from a young age, and having obtained her Hotel Management Diploma as part of the first intake at UAB’s Escola Superior d’ Hosteleria de Catalunya, Marisa travelled to Ireland to experience foreign culture and language and to start her career as a restaurateur.
Having since held management positions at top restaurants in Ireland and UK, including at Terence Conran’s Butler’s Wharf Chop House, Restaurant 24, the Clerkenwell Dining Rooms, and Thyme @ the Hospital Club, Marisa met Patricia Michelson, the owner of London’s iconic La Fromagerie, and moved to help run her beautiful Marylebone cheese shop. While working at La Fromagerie Marisa also started and ran a cheese stall at the upmarket Partidge’s Market on the King’s Road.
It was when working at La Fromagerie that Marisa connected with Ardai, through whom she developed a knowledge of, and brought to London through La Fromagerie, their range of unique and exceptional Spanish cheeses.
