After a detour from law school (and a fateful stint serving mash and meatballs at IKEA), MAD alum Esther Merino found her true calling in hospitality. Four immersive years in Copenhagen, working with some of the city’s most progressive restaurants, saw her rise as a standout front-of-house pro and boundary-pushing beverage developer. Now back in Spain, Esther is splitting her time between teaching at the Basque Culinary Center and diving deep into the intersections of anthropology, gastronomy, and innovation to rethink what exceptional service—and a great drink—can really be.
How did your career in hospitality begin, and what made you fall in love with the industry?
I actually studied law originally, but in my final year, an IKEA opened in my city, Valladolid. What started as serving meatballs eventually led to me becoming a restaurant manager. It might surprise people, but working there was an amazing experience—the way IKEA empowers and cares for its employees really stuck with me.
Then the first Bachelor’s in Gastronomy and Culinary Arts launched at the Basque Culinary Center, and that’s where I truly fell in love with gastronomy, and front-of-house (FOH) work in particular, even though I trained as a chef. I realized it’s not just about the food; it’s about the whole guest experience. As FOH, when you’re serving wine, you’re representing the winemaker. When you’re plating, you’re representing the chef who spent hours on that sauce. My thesis in anthropology explored the link between human behavior and the culinary world. Over time, I became especially interested in beverage innovation.
What initially drew you to MAD?
I’d known about MAD for years, but my first real connection was in 2020 at a MAD Monday event focused on the craft of hospitality. I still remember Monica Berg’s talk, from Tayēr + Elementary, and how eye-opening all the conversations were. At the time, I was feeling pretty frustrated about the lack of recognition for FOH roles in Spain compared to kitchen positions. Seeing an event that actually celebrated service as an art form was a turning point for me. Not long after, I spent a week in Copenhagen, and it blew me away. The service at places like Amass and Manfreds was phenomenal—the level of care and knowledge in every kind of spot really made an impression.
As a result, you ended up moving to Copenhagen—what happened then?
I took some leave from my teaching role at the Basque Culinary Center and arranged internships at noma and Amass. I arrived in September 2020, planning to stay for a short while… but I never left! I ended up living in Copenhagen for four years. I attended Academy in 2021, which gave me a strong foundation for everything that came after. At Amass, I focused on the environmental impact of FOH operations, especially waste management. At noma, I explored sustainability from a people-focused angle. I also worked at POPL, developing takeaway drinks and learning a lot about product accessibility and shelf life. Later on, I joined the team at Alchemist as a beverage developer. Despite all the post-pandemic challenges, my time in Copenhagen was incredibly valuable—and I honestly can’t wait to go back someday.
Now you have a studio focused on gastronomy research and development, called the Taba Project. How do you balance your time between teaching and beverage development?
Whether I’m teaching or doing research, it’s really about connecting the dots—especially between all the little things that often go unnoticed in FOH service. That’s what helps create a better overall experience. My partner (Diego Prado) and I are now working with food scientists to build an open-source knowledge base focused on new ingredients and techniques for beverage production. Just as importantly, we’re doing ethnographic analysis. I honestly believe waiters are some of the best observers out there—they pick up on so many subtle but crucial details. So, we’re also collaborating with anthropologists to tap into that knowledge and feed it into the development process. Again, it’s not just about what you serve, it’s about how you serve it.
You’ve worked on some pretty wild projects, but what’s been the most fascinating one so far?
I worked with one of the oldest cider makers in the Basque region to create a unique beverage from a local apple variety called Moko. We harvested the apples in November instead of September and started by making an apple wine with nearly 50% alcohol concentration. To highlight the local flavor, we infused it with wild plants like tansy, yarrow, and wormwood, plus apple tree bark and apple molasses instead of sugar. The result was something more like a vermouth, now used in a local twist on the Negroni. What I love most is how this drink promotes Basque cultural identity in such a deep, rooted way. Being part of that process, as someone from outside the region, was incredibly rewarding.