‘The most beautiful things are often the simplest.’
Desserts are your most overlooked profit driver—yet often the most powerful. Discover how Ricard Martínez combines simplicity, seasonality, and smart solutions to elevate desserts while maximising efficiency and revenue.
In the historic Triana district of Seville, Ricard Martínez runs Ricmaiz Estudio: a professional pastry atelier, educational hub, and tasting space where he makes high-end pastry or “haute pastry”, accessible to professionals at every level. After completing a business degree, he switched careers entirely, working his way through high-end kitchens alongside Santi Santamaría and Ramón Freixa. He then spent fifteen years at Espai Sucre, the world’s first dessert-only restaurant, rising from head chef to creative director and consultant.”
When helping a restaurant redesign its dessert menu, Ricard always starts in the same place. ‘I begin by absorbing the concept of the client and immersing myself in their culture and way of working.’ His most essential criterion? The ingredient and its seasonality. ‘In pastry, we’re used to reaching for fruit purées that seem available all year round. But seasonality is something we transmit very consciously. It’s rarely done in pastry, even though it’s second nature on the savoury side.’
The emblematic dessert: flan
Ask Ricard about his signature dessert and the answer might surprise you. ‘I’m in love with flan. I’ve always thought it’s a magnificent product. A flan made with cream, egg yolk, vanilla and caramel: to me, that’s the perfect dessert. It’s about simplicity, and how to make something so simple, almost orgasmic.’ The crème brûlée, the flan, the crema catalana — for Ricard, this family of techniques says everything. ‘Beautiful things are often simple.’
Ricard came across Debic Desserts through a recent collaboration. ‘I had seen them at the wholesaler, but had never worked with them before. What I appreciate most is the flavour quality — very well achieved. And they’re extremely practical: you don’t need to be highly technical.’ For smaller operations, that combination is hard to beat. ‘With a reduced team, it’s an excellent solution for achieving high-quality production in less time, without needing highly qualified staff. For catering, where speed is everything, you can solve the dessert course in minutes. You don’t have to make the parfait mix, the mousse, the tiramisu, the cheesecake from scratch. These are genuinely practical solutions.’
Advice: don’t lose your essence
His key advice for chefs is clear. ‘Don’t lose the vision or the essence of your restaurant. The desserts must be integrated into the same conceptual line. Otherwise the experience loses coherence.’ He’s just as decisive when it comes to what’s already on the menu. ‘If a dessert works, make it a classic. Keep it as a standard-bearer — it builds loyalty.’
Desserts don’t get the attention they deserve’, says Ricard. ‘All the focus goes to the savoury course — and that’s a big mistake. Desserts are where you generate the highest economic return, and the quickest. A guest who leaves without dessert is a clear loss of revenue. Imagine the loyalty you could build with a signature dessert that defines your restaurant.'
Get inspired by Richard's sweet creation
Ready to change your dessert game? Discover how smart prep, the right trends, and Debic Desserts semi-finished products turn every table into fans instead of just full.
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