History of the Torrent family
Restaurant Can Quel in Foixà Restaurant Can Quel in Foixà, was created as a hostel in 1899 by Miquel Torrent and his wife Carme Carrier, our great-grandparents.
In those years, it was almost more important to give shelter to animals than to people. As Foixà was on a Roman road, along which all traders passed through the neighbouring villages into small cities nearby. Those were difficult times but they also cooked lots of ducks, rabbits, chickens and sheep. They also had a grocery store, selling all things from drugs to shoes.
They had three son and two daughters. One of them was our grandfather Josep Torrent, who married Dolors Genis Rutllant. They were the second generation to own the restaurant 60 years ago, Can Quel was located about 200 meters from it’s present location. In the 1940, our grandfather wanted to make a bread oven. Their house was located in someone else’s business, so they had to ask the permission of the owner. The owner refused and also came the news that they would have to leave the house because he had a daughter who wanted to get married and go to live there. Our grandfather bought a forest close to the house and, thanks a priest who practiced with a pendulum and a rope, found a spot where there might be water. That means wealth.
In those years, it was almost more important to give shelter to animals than to people. As Foixà was on a Roman road, along which all traders passed through the neighbouring villages into small cities nearby. Those were difficult times but they also cooked lots of ducks, rabbits, chickens and sheep. They also had a grocery store, selling all things from drugs to shoes.
They had three son and two daughters. One of them was our grandfather Josep Torrent, who married Dolors Genis Rutllant. They were the second generation to own the restaurant 60 years ago, Can Quel was located about 200 meters from it’s present location. In the 1940, our grandfather wanted to make a bread oven. Their house was located in someone else’s business, so they had to ask the permission of the owner. The owner refused and also came the news that they would have to leave the house because he had a daughter who wanted to get married and go to live there. Our grandfather bought a forest close to the house and, thanks a priest who practiced with a pendulum and a rope, found a spot where there might be water. That means wealth.
It was a well with water and then our grandfather built a small shed, which still house the bread oven. Later, he started to build the current house, slowly moving the business into the new house, where there was an earth floor rather than tiles.
Our grandfather began paying the farmer a kilo of flour for a kilo of bread and the margin by which it was transforming flour and water was his profit. Times were really very difficult and not everyone had bread to eat and a lot of people always had empty stomachs. Our grandparents gave credit to many people and helped them, especially the children, to survive.
They had four sons and one daughter, including Jaume Torrent our father. He married Felicitat Puig Poch and they have continued and expanded the traditions to the present day. Every day our father makes the bread for the restaurant and the village. He also serves customers in the dining room, whilst our mother does the cooking. Our parents, with a lot of effort and sacrifice have placed this restaurant where it deserves to be a restaurant with all sorts of customers, many of whom are more like friends than customers, representing the most important asset of the restaurant. We thank them all for their confidence. Jaume and Felicitat have 6 grown-up children: Eduard and Neus (twins), Robert and Nuri (twins), Anna and Roser, who have all helped in the restaurant in different ways.
They had four sons and one daughter, including Jaume Torrent our father. He married Felicitat Puig Poch and they have continued and expanded the traditions to the present day. Every day our father makes the bread for the restaurant and the village. He also serves customers in the dining room, whilst our mother does the cooking. Our parents, with a lot of effort and sacrifice have placed this restaurant where it deserves to be a restaurant with all sorts of customers, many of whom are more like friends than customers, representing the most important asset of the restaurant. We thank them all for their confidence. Jaume and Felicitat have 6 grown-up children: Eduard and Neus (twins), Robert and Nuri (twins), Anna and Roser, who have all helped in the restaurant in different ways.