cándido LÓPEZ
DIRECTOR OF THE CANDIDO INN
Cándido López, the 4th generation of the Cándido Family
Cándido López Cuerdo, son of Alberto Cándido and Angelines and grandson of Cándido, was born on January 25, 1963 in Segovia. At the age of 16 he had already joined the Mesón, in order to start in the family business.
Until the age of 24, already a law graduate, he learned the art of hospitality under the guidance of his grandfather and father. Later, he trained with renowned chefs from Spain and France, including Juan Mari Arzak, Andoni Luis Aduriz, Quique Dacosta and Jesús Ramiro, always seeking to learn from the best.
Like his father, Cándido was committed to promoting tourism in Segovia, actively participating in various associations. He held important positions, such as President of the Association of Hoteliers of Segovia, Vice President of the Association of Fine Dining Restaurants, Vice President of the Federation of Hoteliers of Castilla y León, and Councillor for Tourism of the City Council of Segovia.
In 2003, he realized one of his greatest dreams by creating the Cándido Mesonero Mayor de Castilla Foundation, with the aim of promoting gastronomic training and research.
The foundation also promoted the Training Programme for Kitchen and Dining Room Assistants for disadvantaged groups. It organised conferences outside Segovia, highlighting the Training Courses for young people at risk of social exclusion in Madrid, inaugurated by President Esperanza Aguirre.
In addition, he held cooking workshops to research and experiment with new techniques, always based on local products, collaborating with chefs such as Jesús Ramiro.
Following the COVID-19 pandemic, she founded Mesoncito, an initiative that allows families to enjoy traditional flavors from home.
However, Cándido’s passion lies in teaching, which allowed him to create his Master’s Degree in Cooking and Restaurant Management, designed to teach culinary skills and encourage entrepreneurship.
During her tenure, the family home not only continued to receive a large volume of visitors, but also received the biggest celebrities of the moment. Among the most prominent figures who visited it were Ronaldo Nazario, Antonio Banderas, Julio Iglesias, Mick Jagger, Harrison Ford and even Cristiano Ronaldo, among many others.
He was also invited to host the show on Sunday, April 22, 2018, in the sixth season of the Masterchef talent show, where he welcomed the finalists and supervised the development of the test, based on a menu with products from Alimentos de Segovia and Tierra de Sabor.
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