The organizers have announced the list of finalists after several days of assessment by the technical committee. The selection was marked by a very close contest among the entries, with a single point ultimately determining the cutoff.
15 FINALISTS AND THREE PLACES STILL OPEN
In addition to Foodverzo, the final will feature representatives from Albacete, Salamanca, Granada, Bilbao, Gijón, Málaga, Madrid, Sotogrande, Sant Boi de Llobregat, Dénia and Pozuelo de Alarcón.
The competition will take into account aspects such as the frying point and the texture of the potato. Photo: Foodverzo Instagram
The 15 selected chefs and teams are Asador de la Concepción (Albacete), Blanco&Negro Café Tapas (Salamanca), El Chigrín (Granada), Foodverzo (Zaragoza), Hambueysería Amaren (Bilbao), Inferno Gastrobar (Gijón), La Caverna (Málaga), La Raspa VK (Madrid), Le Qualité Tasca (Madrid), Real Club Valderrama (Sotogrande), Rebo Restaurant (Sant Boi de Llobregat), Taberna y Media (Madrid), Tapes La Xara (Dénia), Velarde 13 (Madrid) and Vrutal Club (Pozuelo de Alarcón).
These 15 establishments will be joined by the three winners of the Palencia qualifying round, which will take place on Sunday, September 27. All of them will prepare their creations live before a professional jury and a public jury.
Foodverzo will travel to Palencia with Bravas Foodverzo, a recipe with which Rubertone will seek to earn a place among the finest versions of this tapa.
A FINAL WITH INTERNATIONAL PARTICIPATION
The competition is also maintaining its international character. This year, the foreign entry to receive an outstanding evaluation comes from Washington, D.C., in the United States. Chef Juan Rivera, from Barcelona Wine Bar, entered his Bravas A la Barcelona Wine Bar.
However, high costs and the logistical complexity of the journey have led the U.S. establishment to give up its place in the in-person final. As a result, the organizers have decided that the vacancy will be filled by the next-ranked participant based on the score obtained.
Over the competition’s seven editions, entries have been received from countries including Portugal, Andorra, the United Kingdom, Mexico, France and Peru. In 2022, a recipe from Ireland reached the final.
FLAVOR, THE KEY TO CHOOSING THE WINNER
The professional jury will be chaired by Michelin-starred chefs Alvar Hinojal, from Alquimia-Laboratorio in Valladolid, and Elena Lucas, from La Lobita in Soria. Also joining the panel will be the reigning champion, Javier Alfaro, from Rosi la Loca World (Madrid); chef and food communicator Rafael Antonín 'Rafuel', from Casa Rafuel (Barcelona); and journalists and food critics Begoña Tormo, Mar Romero and Ana Belén Toribio.
Participants will be assessed on aspects including the frying point and the texture of the potato, the balance of the sauce, creativity, presentation and whether the preparation can be maintained during regular bar service.
For the second consecutive year, the competition will also have a Public Jury, coordinated with the Local Development Agency of Palencia City Council. Six enthusiasts linked to the Rutas Bravistas and the 'La Mancha Brava' competition will assess the entries from the consumer’s perspective.
The final will take place on Monday, September 28, and will determine the winner of a competition that seeks each year to identify the finest version of one of the most common tapas served at Spanish bars.
