BBVA names winners of apprenticeship at acclaimed El Celler de Can Roca restaurant

-- Chefs from Dallas, Houston leave in January

-- Four Texas students to intern at world-class restaurant in Girona, Spain

-- Scholarships part of bank's three-year partnership with Roca brothers

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Oct 21, 2014, 11:53 ET

HOUSTON, Oct. 21, 2014 /PRNewswire/ -- Spanish financial services group BBVA announced today the names of the four Texas students who will apprentice under the famed Roca brothers, owners of Girona, Spain-based El Celler de Can Roca, which landed atop Restaurant Magazine's influential World's 50 Best Restaurants list last year.

BBVA Compass corporate logo

The scholarships are part of BBVA's three-year partnership with the restaurant. The alliance kicked off this summer with a flourish, when the bank took the Roca brothers — Head Chef Joan, Sommelier Josep, and Pastry Chef Jordi Roca and nearly 30 members of their staff — on a tour of four countries, including the U.S., to serve meals to BBVA Group's clients.

BBVA is sponsoring the four-month apprenticeship that starts in January and includes travel and lodging costs. The winners, two each from Houston and Dallas, are:

Jerica Anderson, Le Cordon Bleu College of Culinary Arts in Dallas
Carol Bonner, The International Culinary School at The Art Institute of Houston
Tonya Cottrell, Le Cordon Bleu College of Culinary Arts in Dallas
Beatriz Martines, The International Culinary School at The Art Institute of Houston

Eighteen students, including some of the winners, volunteered at the dinners held this summer in Houston and Dallas for clients of BBVA Compass, BBVA's U.S. banking franchise.

"It was a pleasure working with such talented students during our visit to Texas, and we are proud to help the next generation of chefs explore their skills and develop confidence in a collaborative environment," Joan Roca said. "We are looking forward to working with the students from Texas in El Celler de Can Roca."

The scholarship includes airfare, housing in Girona and meals.

Joan Roca is considered a pioneer in sous-vide, a cooking process where food is vacuum-packed and cooked in water. He developed the Roner, a professional sous-vide cooking device. Josep Roca, the sommelier, meanwhile, has won over critics with his unorthodox wine pairings and techniques. And Jordi Roca, the pastry chef, won Restaurant Magazine's World's Best Pastry Chef Award 2014. The judges called him "part chef, part architect, part magician" and an "eccentric but modest genius," citing his work recreating famous perfumes in edible form.

About BBVA Group
BBVA Compass is a subsidiary of BBVA Compass Bancshares Inc., a wholly owned subsidiary of BBVA (NYSE: BBVA) (MAD: BBVA). BBVA is a customer-centric global financial services group founded in 1857. The Group has a solid position in Spain, is the largest financial institution in Mexico and has leading franchises in South America and the Sunbelt region of the United States. Its diversified business is geared toward high-growth markets and relies on technology as a key sustainable competitive advantage. Corporate responsibility is at the core of its business model. BBVA fosters financial education and inclusion, and supports scientific research and culture. It operates with the highest integrity, a long-term vision and applies the best practices. The Group is present in the main sustainability indexes. More information about the BBVA Group can be found at www.bbva.com.

About BBVA Compass
BBVA Compass is a Sunbelt-based financial institution that operates 673 branches, including 342 in Texas, 89 in Alabama, 77 in Arizona, 62 in California, 45 in Florida, 38 in Colorado and 20 in New Mexico. BBVA Compass ranks among the top 25 largest U.S. commercial banks based on deposit market share and ranks among the largest banks in Alabama (2nd), Texas (4th) and Arizona (5th). BBVA Compass has been recognized as one of the leading small business lenders by the Small Business Administration and recently earned the top ranking with customers in American Banker's 2014 annual reputation survey of the top 25 largest U.S. retail banks. Additional information about BBVA Compass can be found at www.bbvacompass.com, by following @BBVACompassNews on Twitter or visiting newsroom.bbvacompass.com.