Tourism

A new edition of the Gastronomic Forum Barcelona is being held from 6 to 8 November and is set to be the biggest to date, with 350 exhibitors, representing an increase of 20% compared to the previous edition. The leading fair for professionals in hospitality, specialist commerce and gastronomy will be offering 120 activities with over 200 speakers, centring on transformational cuisine committed to the preservation of biodiversity.

The new edition of the Gastronomic Forum Barcelona, to be held in hall 8 at the Montjuïc trade fair site, will be demonstrating the commitment from the world of gastronomy to sustainability, the protection of biodiversity and the promotion of social transformation. The 100 plus chefs taking part will be presenting initiatives linked to the use of local produce, the recovery of traditional methods, the fight against food waste and other current topics.

The restaurants taking part in this year’s fair have 55 Michelin classic stars between them, and 11 Michelin green stars, recognising establishments that work to preserve the environment through the efficient management of resources and the reduction of waste.

Classroom at the Metropolitan Organic and Local Market

Highlights among the 120 plus activities at the fair include the Metropolitan Market Classroom, promoted by the City Council, the AMB and Mercabarna, hosting 14 displays from producers of organic and local produce in the Barcelona metropolitan area and forming part of the metropolitan market. There will also be a wide range of activities featuring prestigious chefs, livestock farmers and professionals in agriculture and fishing, who will be cooking live and discussing the present and future of sustainable diversity and biodiversity.

Restaurant professionals taking part include Xavier Pellicer, Laura Veraguas, Paolo Casagrande and Joan Capilla, plus organisations such as La Platjeta, the Fundació Cuina Justa, the Associació Mescladís and others.

All this, in collaboration with Slow Food Barcelona and the Joint Office for Sustainable Food (OCAS).

New trends in cooking

The fair also addresses the transformational power of cooking and gives a voice to international chefs promoting working models that emphasise work-life balance and its inclusion in restaurants, such as Denmark’s Kamilla Seidler, head of the restaurant Lola in Copenhagen, and Belgium’s Joke Michiel, from the restaurant Souvenir in Ghent.

The use of fire as a method in professional cooking is another of the themes addressed, as well as the experiences of professionals in terms of the new pantry, which regains traditional foods and promotes conservation techniques never used before in our culinary culture.

Recognition for talent

As usual, emerging chefs will also play an important part in the fair, with the final of the Gastronomic Forum Barcelona Chef Award 2023. The finalists are Panatieri and Jorge Sastre (Brabo i Sartoria Panatieri, Barcelona, best European pizzeria according to the ranking 50 Top Pizza Europa 2022); Charly Morote, Sergi Puig and Gemma López (Suru Bar, Barcelona); Jordi Asensio and Patrícia Nieves (Can Culleres, Barcelona); Adrià Edo (Dit i Fet, Girona); Martín Comamala (539 Plats Forts, Puigcerdà, Girona), and Gessamí Caramés (Meleta de Romer, L’Ametlla de Mar, Tarragona).

A new feature at this year’s Gastronomic Forum Barcelona will be a tribute to women in the rural world, promoted by Barcelona Provicial Council, and, as part of the competition The Best Dessert Espai Sucre, Martín Berasategui will be collecting the Pierra Gagnaire Award 2023 in recognition of his contribution to cake-making.

Challenges for restaurants

Organised by the Gastronomic Forum Barcelona and the Clúster Food Service, the Forum Lab will be offering some sessions on innovation in the management of hospitality establishments. This section will also feature the Foodture congress, organised by the Barcelona Centre de Disseny and the Congrés Internacional de Restauració i Economia Circular, an initiative by the Fundació Restaurants Sostenibles.