Asturias
Speaker
Mary Fernández
"Guisandera" at El Fartuquín (Oviedo, Spain)
El Fartuquín, headed up by Mary, has become a destination of coeliac pilgrims keen to enjoy traditional Asturias cuisine.
With no family roots in the profession, Mary started out aged only 15, and learned the trade during numerous banquets and weddings at the Tamanaco restaurant. Later she met her husband, José Luis Suárez, working the grill at the Monteviejo (La Manjoya), whereupon they worked together until they decided to start their own venture.
In 2000 they bought over El Fartuquín in Oviedo, where she cooks and he runs the floor in a family business which serves up traditional Asturias fare, and was declared Spain's best restaurants for coeliacs in 2022. Ten years ago they focused on gluten-free food for some coeliac customers, and since then they have continued to produce typical Asturias cuisine for those allergic to gluten.
