PEOPLE WE MEET

I was always in the kitchen watching my mum cook, watching my grandmother cook - I've always been interested in food, always loved eating. I don't know, I was just always hungry I guess! I have fond memories of my abuela Eusebia Juárez Moreno whipping up quick dishes to satisfy her hungry grandchildren. A couple of eggs, olive oil, salt and parsley from the garden ... a minute or two later I was enjoying a fluffy Tortilla Francesa to the background of my abuelo Guillermo mumbling "Comer hijo comer, que te ase falta" - Eat child eat, you need it. She always exceeded expectations - delivering big flavours from the simplest ingredients. That's what Spanish food is all about, simple ingredients, cooked with intent, love and honesty. My mother was also an amazing cook. We'd never really go out to restaurants - parties and family functions were always held at home. My mum would cook for 30, 40, 50 people at a time! So I suppose it's just in my blood.

Eventually I decided to go to Spain. After 15 years working in soulless kitchens, the time had come to reconnect with my heritage. So I packed my bags and set off on a pilgrimage to the motherland - I'd never been before, so I thought it was about time. It was just a great experience. One of the first weeks I was in Madrid I went to a restaurant and experienced a really hearty three-course meal for about 10 euros. It was incredible. The food wasn't fine dining, or anything, but it was just ... beautifully flavoured, authentic, home-cooked food. And for 10 euros! With a bottle of wine! I thought to myself, what on earth? You'd never get anything like that in Australia. It was crazy.

Watching my first bullfight - Corrida - was a particularly intense experience for me. The bulls themselves are quite beautiful and strong, which is the good element of it. The violence and death is quite challenging, but there's still a beauty in watching - at least initially - the bull coming out and charging. It definitely stayed with me. Coming from Australia, you're not really used to seeing things like that, so it was quite confronting - a bit barbaric, in a way. I don't think that sort of event would go down too well here, but over there, the bullfighting rings were packed. Full house from top to bottom. It's like going to watch an AFL game. A packed, crowded house.

I'd always been looking at getting back into my own business, into owning my own place. I'd spent a while looking at businesses for sale, but none of them really stuck with me. I didn't want to just buy someone else's creation, if you know what I mean. I wanted to do something for myself. During my travels I found myself standing at the Puerta del Sol in Madrid taking a photo alongside El Oso y el Madroño (The Bear and the Strawberry Tree) - the heraldic symbol of the city. It was then the name the Bull and Bear came to me. The Spanish symbol of bravery, strength and determinedness the bull, which had been carved in my memory during the 'corrida' and the bear that pays homage to my madrileño heritage was a natural fit. The Bull and Bear was born.

I designed the space myself. My dad and I actually put a lot of the effort in, especially in the construction - all the dirty work. I've always liked a more rustic feel. I want people to come in, and feel relaxed and happy. I knew the aesthetic that I wanted; I've always liked concrete floors, I've always like the look of roughly cut wood. During my trip to Spain, I really loved the feel of all the old wooden bar tops and benches, and obviously the Spanish tiles that we put in were part of that. I really wanted to have something that would tie in with my Spanish heritage, and compliment the food that we would be serving. I hope that atmosphere, that vibe is something that Wollongong is ready for. The hearty meal, the warm space. We haven't really got a Spanish tapas place in Wollongong at the moment - it's a bit of a niche market. I'm particularly excited for the beef cheeks on the menu. They're obviously slow cooked, and the recipe is a bit of a take on a Spanish beef dish my mother uses to make, with artichokes and broadbeans. It's quite a wintry, hearty dish. At the moment we are open for breakfast and lunch seven days a week. We plan on launching our dinner menu shortly.