King of kings, or as the town bellman and mountaineer called it Rosa Maria Fernandez, “pole star of cheeses”. Cabrales has proven once again that he is “unique”. The Llagar de Colloto (Oviedo) restaurant was awarded the best piece of the Cabraliego competition this Sunday, paying a staggering 30,000 euros. in a closed auction that has disturbed the public until the last moment. A record expenditure far exceeding the 20,500 euros the same organization paid in 2019.
“I did not expect the tender to be so highbut in the end you are slowly warming up”, admitted the owner of the restaurant, Iván Suárez. “It’s a way to reward my people“15 percent of the money will go,” said Suárez, on behalf of the Galbán Association and all the cheesemakers who have supported me throughout the year and those I will share, as well as the Cabrales definition of origin (DOP), working 365 days a year.
Innkeeper wins best cheese four times in a row in Arenas competition and third, it managed to break the Guinness record with it. He paid 14,300 euros in 2018, 20,500 the following year, and 17,000 euros in 2022. “I’m glad that the offer has grown so much, that the DOP is getting more and more resonance and is gaining worldwide recognition. I’m happy to feel like I’m a part of it,” said Suárez.
As noted, He will taste the cheese with family and friends because “it is not enough to sell large portions commercially”. “What we do is buy ample produce to have in the restaurant throughout the year,” he explained.
The cheese in question Los Puertos cheese factory, from Poo de Cabrales. It is made from cow and goat milk and is aged for ten months in high mountain caves at an altitude of 1,500 meters above sea level. Owner Guillermo Pendás Bada was delighted with both the recognition and the price achieved for the piece. “We thought we were bringing in good cheeses, but in the end it’s all a matter of luck. You never know what other people will offer or what the jury will like,” he admitted.
This second time as competition champion. He made the previous one in 2007, just three years after he started making cheese, but his family always had a tradition: “The recipe comes from my grandmother, but of course much older.” A grandmother who couldn’t be happier. Life’s coincidences, he was selected as “Major Pastor” in the competition yesterday. “Xana” was Sofia García González, with her great-aunt Herrero. They laughed and said, “Everything will stay at home in this edition.”
Los Puertos cheese factory prevailed in the edition in which fifteen producers were representedMore than a ton of cheese was sold for between 25 and 50 euros a kilo. Although there was a slight decrease in the number of participants due to adverse weather conditions, it was seen that all tickets were sold out in the morning hours.
A rain that is not enough to darken the morning, counts as a preacher alongside mountaineer Rosa María FernándezReminding in his speech that his passion for climbing 8 thousand was born from Picos de Europa, Dr. “Here I am recharging my battery, here I was born to sport, and here is the base camp I am in,” Fernández said.
The athlete realized his love for cheese, especially the cabarets, which he served as his traveling companion on many occasions. “It’s a way to feel at home and make friends or allies. You never know who you might need help with,” she explained.
Among the officials attending the event were the Principality’s Deputy Head Gimena Llamedo and the Minister of Rural Affairs Marcelino Marcos. The latter announced that the regional government has increased its aid for cabrales production by 50%, reaching a total investment of 37,865 euros. Right now, There are twenty-two producers in AsturiasPeople who have managed to increase the average price of cheese with their work. The largest commercialization will be carried out at the national level, with a total of 353,204 kilos of origin sold in 2022.