Youngest Michelin-Starred Chef Carlos Casillas Cooks Over 18,000 Meals for Ávila Wildfire Victims

While the wildfire in southern Ávila continues to rage, the kitchen at Barro restaurant has kept its stoves burning for six consecutive days. Instead of sophisticated tasting menus, the team is preparing thousands of hot, simple meals for firefighters, evacuated families, and emergency responders. Leading this field kitchen is Carlos Casillas—Spain's youngest Michelin-starred chef and the first awardee in the entire province. Working alongside World Central Kitchen (WCK), founded by Chef José Andrés, he has already served more than 18,000 meals.

It all began on Thursday when Casillas finished a standard shift at the restaurant and spotted a massive plume of smoke rising over the Sierra de Gredos mountain range. He immediately reached out to World Central Kitchen and got straight to work. That very night, the restaurant fed its first 700 people, including evacuees and firefighters.

This is not Casillas's first experience with wildfires. In 2021, flames reached his hometown of Navalacruz, and now neighboring villages have been hit hard. "In 2021, I experienced firsthand what it means for an entire town to head out to fight a fire and return without having time to cook," he shares. "Finding a hot meal is one of the most comforting moments amidst such destruction."

To sustain this pace, Barro completely overhauled its operations. Last weekend, the restaurant opened only for lunch to maintain a minimal income stream to purchase ingredients, and starting Monday, it closed its doors entirely. "This week we are closed Monday, Tuesday, and Wednesday to operate in three shifts. We are cooking around the clock to produce as many portions as possible," explains the chef.

Support has come not only from WCK. Local authorities and dozens of volunteers have joined the effort. Anyone interested in volunteering can sign up via Barro's Instagram page. Social media followers are helping as well—Casillas notes that if he posts a request for cutting boards, ten are delivered within five minutes.

The relief menu changes daily and features wholesome home-cooked dishes: bolognese, potatoes with ribs, lentils, chicken and beef lasagna, burgers for children, chickpea salad, mashed potatoes with sausages, plus fresh fruit and vegetables. "We try to make the food as comforting and homemade as possible. We don't just want to feed people; we want them to truly enjoy a good meal," says Casillas.

My heart contracts when someone comes up and hugs you for a plate of food

Carlos Casillas

Wildfire themes have long been present on Barro’s menu through its Campo Amarillo (“Yellow Field”) signature dish, created to reflect the fragility of the Castilian land. Today, Casillas is experiencing that fragility firsthand: the fire encroached right up to his family vineyard while he remained at the stove. "It's been two days and I still haven't been able to go check on it. I don't know what state it's in or how the vineyard survived," he admits.

"Ávila is a province where land is the primary resource. It breaks my heart to see the destruction of what keeps people rooted here, attracts young people, and sustains rural life. It's not just the environment burning; it's the future, and that is perhaps the most tragic part," reflects the chef.

Casillas emphasizes that the immediate priority is to maintain the steady flow of aid while urging locals to act responsibly so as not to hinder firefighting operations.

"A hot plate of food can dramatically lift a person's spirits. We often live in the world of high-end dining, but gastronomy is so much broader, and no one should go hungry. Food can also be a vital source of hope," he concludes.