When, in 2006, Renato Cunha dared to open the doors of a haute cuisine restaurant in the quiet parish of Portela, in Vila Nova de Famalicão, many predicted that Ferrugem would be short-lived. Eighteen years later, chef Renato Cunha's gastronomic project is increasingly daring, "with a grown-up, adult and mature vision and dreaming of what the future will be": Ferrugem 2.0.
The new concept for the Famalicense restaurant, recently voted "Restaurant of the Year" by Revista de Vinhos, is preparing to bring together various dynamics and projects with circularity as its basic concept.
In addition to the gastronomic experience at the restaurant table, Renato Cunha is now adding new experiences to the Ferrugem brand, including a local accommodation project and an invitation to immerse himself in the countryside and slow cooking in the open air through the "Ir Com Sede ao Pote" initiative.
"Lots of ideas" to realise from Famalicão, in what Renato considers to be his comfort zone, but where he gets uncomfortable every day. "I'm a nonconformist looking for new things. I've always believed that it was possible to dream here and it's in Famalicão that I want to continue to realise my most ambitious projects."
It's here, as he tells us, that he finds the key ingredient to the success of Ferrugem's recipe. "I believe that the technique is universal, but the product is local. I turn more and more to local producers where I look for and find an authentic and genuinely good product," he explains.
The journey of the chef from Famalicão and the brand - Ferrugem - that he created in Vila Nova de Famalicão were recognised by the mayor of Famalicão, who singled out Renato Cunha as one of the faces of the Famalicão European Entrepreneurial Region.
"Ferrugem is coming of age this year, he's in his prime and he's just taken his licence for new flights. Renato Cunha is one of the biggest names in contemporary Portuguese cuisine and an unavoidable face of the entrepreneurial strength of Vila Nova de Famalicão," said Mário Passos.
It's worth remembering that throughout this year and through the "Faces of EER" Roadmap, Mário Passos will introduce many of the names that help position Vila Nova de Famalicão as one of the country's largest and most thriving economies and boost the municipality's entrepreneurial DNA. António Braz Costa, director-general of CITEVE and CeNTI, and Ana Patrícia Correia, from Marupiu - Pâtisserie, are the two other names that the municipality has named so far.