Spain’s 2020 breakthrough baker relocated after a Madrid closure and has launched Brulée in Ordino, where

Mario Ortiz, named Spain’s breakthrough baker in 2020, has opened the pâtisserie Brulée in Ansalonga, in the parish of Ordino, Andorra.

Ortiz previously ran a bakery in Colmenar Viejo, north of Madrid, but says decisions by public administrations forced the closure of that business when his child was four months old, leaving the family without legal protection. He attempted to open a Brulée shop near Madrid, but that plan did not come to fruition.

An opportunity in Andorra followed. Ortiz says the family drove up for a weekend to scout options; his father and his partner, Luz, found the premises in Ansalonga and they decided to move forward with the project.

Trained as a baker with a specialty in bread, Ortiz developed many of his recipes in part because his partner has food intolerances. “I tried to make a bread she could eat,” he says, describing the work as a kind of love story to find an edible bread for her.

Ortiz acknowledges criticism over prices but defends them, saying the product’s quality explains the cost. Although bread is his speciality, he notes pastries with coffee are the top sellers; a typical ticket for a croissant and a coffee is roughly €5–10, about €7 on average.

He also described his daily routine, saying he starts work at about 3 a.m., works continuously throughout the morning and sleeps around five to six hours. Ortiz discussed these details on the YouTube channel Tengo un Plan.