About Us
Vision
What if events could be… something else?
Something more than food. More than service. More than decoration.
Something that challenges the obvious, reinvents flavor, and breaks all the rules.
The MAD Kitchen is a catering company specializing in unconventional events.
We are a team with international experience in haute cuisine, dining room service, and event production. We work with ingredients of impeccable origin, cutting-edge techniques, and a creative vision that transforms each event into a memorable gastronomic experience.
We don’t follow formulas. We create tailor-made solutions, always with boldness, rigor, and attention to detail.
Whether it’s a wedding, a corporate event, or a private production, we treat each project as unique. From the idea to the last dish served, we design experiences that linger in the memory (and on the palate).
Values
The secret ingredients
Excellence without ceremony
The standard is high, the atmosphere relaxed. We take our work very seriously, but without unnecessary formalities.
Creativity with intention
We don’t invent just for the sake of inventing. Every detail has a purpose: to provoke, surprise, and leave a mark.
Total customization
No two events are the same. We work side by side with each client to create something that makes sense for that moment, that brand, that story.
Practical sustainability
We prefer local ingredients, work with trusted suppliers, and avoid waste.
Creativity also thrives on awareness.
Human relationships above all else
We believe in real partnerships. We listen, respect, and create with those who trust us.
TEAM
The creative force behind MAD
Behind The Mad Kitchen is a team that brings together chefs with Michelin-star experience, event producers with a sharp eye, and creatives who can’t sit still.
We’re chefs, sommeliers, designers, artists, strategists, logisticians, technicians and storytellers. Each of us brings something unique to the table. Together, we create what you won’t find anywhere else.
We’re not just good at what we do.
We’re obsessed with doing it better always.
Training
We travel to taste, learn, absorb, and reimagine.
Every year, the MAD team lands in another part of the world in search of gastronomic inspiration. We take our curiosity with us and return with ideas that spark creativity in our kitchen. Because to revolutionize catering… we have to go where it happens.
These trips are not just training.
They are moments of growth, sharing, and creative madness.
We learn from the best, try the unlikely, question everything, and bring back to Portugal a new way of looking at events and flavors.
This is how you build a brand that doesn’t just cook to impress. It cooks to transform.
TEAM
ANGEL REYES
Born in Ecuador, Angel refined his craft across England, Spain and Israel before settling in Lisbon, Portugal. Over the course of his career, he has worked alongside some of the most acclaimed chefs in the world – including Martín Berasategui, Paco Pérez, Heston Blumenthal and Jonathan Roshfeld.
This international journey allowed him to immerse himself in diverse culinary cultures, mastering techniques, flavours and ingredients that now shape his refined fusion creations, rich in taste, texture, and, of course, presentation.
Daniel marques
Born in France to Portuguese immigrant parents, he completed a pastry course at the age of 16. He began his career in Paris, where he learned the art of French pastry making. He arrived in Portugal in 2002, working in Michelin-starred restaurants and renowned hotels, until finally joining the team at The MAD Kitchen. Passionate about working with chocolate, he loves creating exquisite bonbons and surprising desserts. Bread and its derivatives also fascinate him and he often incorporates them into his creations. Always ready for new challenges, he sees each dish as an opportunity to take the gastronomic experience to another level.
Filipe armonia
Born in São Paulo, he has over 14 years of experience in gastronomy and has worked in Ireland, England, and Italy. He has worked in Michelin-starred restaurants, consolidating his international reputation. With a disciplined approach focused on excellence, he applies the organization and dedication he acquired through sports to the kitchen. Always looking for new challenges, he aims to innovate and take gastronomy to new heights.
TEAM
Raquel Rua
Raquel Rua is the commercial director and one of the founders of The MAD Kitchen Portugal, recognized in the industry as one of the most competent and respected professionals in the field of catering and events. With extensive national and international experience, Raquel is known for her firm character, unwavering ethics, attention to detail, and an extraordinary ability to understand and translate desires into memorable experiences.
Throughout her career, she has led commercial teams at renowned agencies and developed strategic partnerships with wedding planners, venues, and leading companies. Her commercial acumen and strategic vision have been instrumental in positioning The MAD Kitchen as one of the most innovative and sought-after catering companies in Portugal.
Raquel is not just a director—she is part of the brand’s essence. Although she does not hold a formal stake in the company, she is recognized internally and in the market as the “living acronym” of MAD’s D, due to the indispensable role she has played since the company’s inception.
Today, at the helm of the commercial area, she is the one who builds bridges, takes care of customer relations, and transforms each event into a perfect reflection of what MAD promises: “More Than Just Food.”
TEAM
Nuno Lourenço
Born in Alcobaça, he discovered his passion for cooking and hospitality at an early age. At 17, he moved to Lisbon and began a solid and demanding professional career, gaining experience in highly technical and operational contexts, both in Portugal and abroad.
TEAM
MARCELO TOMÁS
Born in Alcobaça, he showed an early interest in cooking. At the age of 17, he moved to Lisbon and began his professional career at national and international level, where he collected several experiences in renowned restaurants and hotels such as Penha Longa Resort, Sushi Samba in London, Grain Store Gatwick and Oriental Mandarim Hotel with the prestigious Chef Heston Bluemental at Dinner By Heston.
With a rigorous approach and an innovative spirit, he stands out not only for his culinary creativity, but above all for his leadership skills, team management, and coordination of large operations. He has led large-scale culinary experiences, serving thousands of people a day, always with a focus on detail and exceeding expectations.
Today, as Director of Operations at The MAD Kitchen, he is responsible for ensuring that each event is executed with precision, originality, and excellence. His mission is clear: to transform each service into a memorable gastronomic experience, ensuring that each customer feels the impact of a bold, professional, and truly distinctive concept.
