Alicante hosts From Friday, Spain’s premier gastronomic festival. Six chefs bringing eight Michelin stars will headline the strongest edition of Alicante Gastronómica. On the morning of Friday the 23rd, culinary talents from local and national scenes will illuminate the IFA facilities. Susan Díaz from La Finca in Elche holds a Michelin Star and two Repsol Suns and serves as a luxury host for this year’s guest province Burgos, opening with the keynote address Evolution to the Sea Forest. Alexander Serrano from Alejandro Serrano Restaurant in Miranda de Ebro, Burgos, carries a Star and a Sun.
Later comes Costa Blanca Space, with José Manuel Miguel Beat from Calpe, a Michelin Star and two Repsol Suns, and Sergio Manzano from A Barra in Madrid, also holding one Michelin Star and two Repsol Suns. In Best of Gastronomy, Paul Gonzalez from Cabaña Buenavista in Murcia holds two Stars and three Suns and will present The Evolution of the Guardians with prestigious brands. Albert Ferruz from Bonamb in Jávea has collected two Michelin Stars and three Repsol Suns.
Poster BALANCE recipe.
Poster TABLE FOR 3
Cinema and Gastronomy, a great match
The fusion of cinema and gastronomy comes alive at Alicante Gastronómica. The Gastro Cinema Festival has chosen the fair for its official presentation, scheduled on Friday the 23rd at 12:20 on the Lo Mejor de la Gastronomía stage. K LA IAIA Restaurant is last year’s winner. Gastronomic films, shorts, serials, and documentaries will be screened across halls during the festival, which runs from September 23 to 30. On Saturday, September 24, the IFA auditorium—within the Alicante Gastronómica framework—will host the screening of Balance Recipe, a documentary about Ricard Camarena, with the director Óscar Bernacer and the chef in attendance.
On Monday, September 26, Alicante Gastronómica will launch Table for 3, a short film featuring Paco Tous, Luis Zahera, Nerea Garmendia, and Nacho, aimed at raising awareness about the planet’s food future. Guerreros, Luis Mottola, and Alexandra Masangkay appear in a tense choral comedy nominated for the 2023 Goya Awards.
Poster TABLE FOR 3
Best potato omelette with Alicante identity
For the first time in its history, the Alicante gastronomic scene will host a competition to decide the best tortilla in the country. Tomorrow afternoon, the State of Alicante Potato Omelette Contest aims to showcase professional virtuosity while promoting local presence in bars and fostering a distinct regional identity in national gastronomy.
The edition seeks to fully involve and describe Alicante cuisine and its chefs as part of a movement led by critic Rafa García Santos to elevate this dish to the pinnacle of Spanish gastronomy and secure the attention it deserves.
The Tortilla with Identity category will celebrate the development of an Alicante seal that adds regional character through the thoughtful use of local ingredients such as ñora pepper, saffron, and salt fish.
A panel of judges including Rafael García Santos, Susi Díaz, Paco Torreblanca, Andrea Tumbarello, Vicente Castelló, Miguel García, Ciri González, and José Manuel Crespo will evaluate every detail, recognizing both the classic tortilla and the Alicante identity variant.
II Hotel Management Schools Competition
Alicante Gastronómica again highlights hospitality education by hosting the II Hotel Management Schools Competition. Students from four local centers—CIPFP Valle de Elda, IES Remedios Múñoz de Los Montesinos, CIPFP Canastell de San Vicente del Raspeig, and IES Cap de l’Aljub de Santa Pola—will take part.
The initiative celebrates young talents who aspire to professional careers in gastronomy, with many set to shape the kitchens of leading provincial and national restaurants in the future.
Children from different schools participated in the previous edition of the fair.
500 schoolchildren visit the fair tomorrow
Around 500 schoolchildren from across the province will join workshops and conferences on Friday morning. The program includes Eli Romero’s Carmencita and the Kids, How to Make a Hamburger (Burgos Alimenta), Tescoma and the Little Ones, and My First Bread with Flour, Flour Entrepiedras by Espacio Montoro.
Children will also learn healthy living and Mediterranean eating habits through engaging activities. The Kids will enjoy Puppet stories in The Magical World of Food to promote responsible and sustainable consumption. The festival will offer Fruit Game, a participatory event where youngsters discover the health benefits of fruits and vegetables.
Stars and Suns.
Caps with STAR and SUN
To bring haute cuisine to the public, the Corner of Stars and Suns will feature tasting menus of Michelin and Repsol tapas at accessible prices, ranging from three to six euros.
More information
Gastronomic Alicante will take place at IFA from September 23 to 26.