El Bulli

Breaking: Madrid Poultry Pioneer Keeps Family Trade Alive After Christmas Surge

In the wake of the holiday rush, a veteran poultry supplier in Madrid’s Vallehermoso Market is proving that experience, devotion, and a tight-knit family operation can sustain a high-demand craft. Higinio Gómez,71,has steered his stall through decades of busy seasons,balancing tradition with a relentless work pace that runs from early morning until late at night.

Gómez’s current post at the Vallehermoso Market marks the ninth year in a long career that includes 45 years running a Magallanes Street shop. He has earned a reputation as the go-to “pollero” for Spain’s top restaurants, sourcing the finest birds from France for chefs who demand the best.

From Market Roots to Haute Cuisine

His path began when, at age 11, he joined his father on shopping trips to a local market. A shopkeeper there invited him to help after school, sparking an interest in what happens behind the counter.by 14 he worked at another market, and at 17 he launched his own venture with a brother, discovering that cooking coudl be a form of culinary art as well as a business.

Gómez later pursued cooking courses by correspondence and consumed countless magazines and cookbooks. This voracious curiosity helped him chase the most exclusive poultry sources, eventually leading him to a key French supplier, Tradition des Coteaux, based in Gers. The birds arrived as prized “jewels”—readily embraced by high-end kitchens.

A Network That Feeds the Elite

Word spread quickly among Spain’s chefs. Gómez recalls early collaborations with Andrés Madrigal in a fine dining setting, which opened doors to figures like Sergi Arola. The connection with top kitchens grew into a movement, with renowned chefs recognizing the value of his carefully selected birds. One of his best-known success stories involved a chef who crafted a striking crest carpaccio with carabinero shrimp and pine-nut cream using these prized birds. The reputation reached the pinnacle when even the world’s most acclaimed restaurant scene embraced his product.

Today, the operation sources roughly 1,000 kilos of select birds from France each week. the enterprise, run from a compact 40-square-meter space, ships poultry, eggs, and game to restaurants and ordinary buyers across Spain and Portugal. Gómez jokes that he might be the country’s most “gendered” pollero, visiting markets in cities he travels to and choosing not to chase opportunities in places lacking a market pulse.

A Philosopher of Quality

Gómez argues that the industry’s rough image stems from free-range birds, which can be perceived as less flavorful than carefully raised options. He defends farm-raised poultry as an engineered marvel: affordable, lean, and capable of feeding manny, while insisting that true flavour comes from how the meat moves and the accompanying preparation. He advises looking for long bones as a sign of developed muscle and checking labels—Label Rouge or regional quality marks can indicate provenance and standards.

One common mistake, he notes, is washing poultry under running water, which can promote spoilage. Proper searing or roasting is essential to preserve flavor and texture. His dream is for poultry to reclaim a Sunday-centrepiece status in homes, much like paella has earned its place in Spanish kitchens.

Family,Finance,and the Future

Today,his son David Gómez oversees daily management,while Higinio focuses on sales and strategy. He emphasizes that selling is the easy part; the real challenge lies in running the business smoothly. The family has even structured supplier-amiable payment terms, offering a maximum of 30 days for restaurant orders to help operators manage cash flow.

Gómez remains cautious about brand expansion, insisting that success is rooted in the right location and a strong market presence. He has no plans to lend his name to ventures unless the fit is perfect, a principle he believes Ferran Adrià underscored years ago: location determines success.

Despite the grind, Gómez sees an upside: his operation guarantees restaurants a table when they source meat from him. He keeps his expectations modest, preferring to advocate for others rather than seek favors for himself.

Key facts At a Glance

Evergreen Takeaways

Behind every culinary prestige is a logistics network built on trust, precision, and a deep understanding of product quality. Gómez’s career illustrates how a supplier’s relationship with chefs can elevate an entire cuisine, turning a local market stall into a cornerstone of national dining culture. The balance between tradition and modern management—short-term cash flow needs, staff training, and careful sourcing—remains a blueprint for sustaining specialty trades in a fast-moving food ecosystem.

What dish would you pair with a premium, expertly sourced poultry? how do you prioritize quality versus price when selecting ingredients for a restaurant menu?

Share your thoughts in the comments and tell us which regional delicacy you’d like to see highlighted next.