The Fòrum Gastronòmic Girona goes international and gets closer to the public, with two days of activities in the city center and two days dedicated exclusively to the professional sector.

Today was presented the program, which from 18 to 21 March will offer about a hundred presentations and activities, in a renewed event but with the essence of always. Today was presented the program of the Fòrum Gastronòmic Girona 2023, to be held from 18 to 21 March, with many new features, reforming and expanding its program of activities to four days, two of which will be in the streets and squares of Girona's downtown.

With a renewed image, the show will start with a new format that wants to bring even closer to the public the values of gastronomy, starting with the trade itself and reinforcing the uniqueness of the territory and the local product. Thus, the Fòrum Ciutat is born in two spaces in Plaça Catalunya, where during the weekend there will be demonstrations and gastronomic sessions with leading professionals such as Ada Parellada, Raúl Balam, Jerónimo Castells and Nani Moré, among others. Among  these spaces opened to the public will be a tasting room where attendees will learn tasting room where attendees will learn to taste sausages, chocolate, honey, cheese, milk ... always from the hand of professionals and producers themselves.

The activities will be open and free and one of the most popular will be the waiters' race that will be held in the street, in an initiative of the Association of Professional Waiters that will serve to give visibility to the agility and experience of this professional group. In a weekend that is expected to be very intense and with a large volume of visitors in the central space of the city, it is also proposed a gastronomic foray into the world of metaverse, with which visitors can interact with companies and producers.

An event that counts on the groups that move the gastronomy all year round. The strong presence of the event in the city has made all the gastronomic groups feel represented, and participate showing the strength of a strategic sector for the Girona area. Thus, the Asociació Hosteleria de Girona will celebrate the same days the Gastronomic Week of the city, recognizing the best restaurant menu of this year's edition. At the same time, the Asociació de Professionals de Sala will present the awards to the trajectory in the world of the dining room to continue claiming the importance of this guild in the sector. This year's winners are Concepció Oliva and Joan Carles Ibañez. And in the field of training, one of the most important activities will be the grand finale of the competition El Gran Banquet, promoted by Can Garús and Fòrum Gastronòmic Girona itself. Live, in the facilities of the Girona School of Hotel Management, the finalists will have to recreate a banquet service, in which a jury will assess the different techniques and styles of Catalan cuisine and room service. The planning and management for the correct implementation of the service will also be assessed.

A second part of the Forum with clear prominence for professionals. And once the curtain comes down on the Fòrum Ciutat, the second part of the Fòrum Gastronòmic Girona will be held on March 20 and 21 at the Auditori Palau de Congressos de Girona, aimed specifically at the professional sector, in a space with more than 130 exhibitors.

There will be two days with an extensive program of lectures with tastings, monographs, demonstrations, competitions and dialogues between professionals in the kitchen and the dining room, in a show that has become an attraction for international figures, both in the kitchen and in the dining room. Among the program of presentations the participation of the Roca brothers, from Celler de Can Roca, Mateu Casañas and his team from Compartir and Martina Puigvert, from Les Cols d'Olot. Today's presentation highlighted the value of local producers in supplying kitchens with the best products. There will also be presentations in duet format, with Paco Pérez and Antonio Muiños, world expert on seaweed, Rodrigo de la Calle and Annette Abstoss or the tandem formed by Xavier Pellicer and Jaume Torres. Among others, will discuss topics such as healthy eating, sustainability or the use of product and zero food waste. Presenting the new line of drinks from Celler de Can Roca will also be presented by Josep Roca, who has held a discussion with Martina Puigvert, led by Salvador Garcia-Arbós.

It will be an intense program with an international outlook, with the participation of prominent chefs from France, Germany and Italy.

Monographs, demonstrations and competitions

After the success of last year's edition, the monographic section will be reinforced with a format that highlights some of the products that have historically been part of the menus of historically part of restaurant menus, but which continue to evolve over the years. Among the wide range of professionals there will be thematic sessions of Bean 2 Bar, with Jordi Roca who will talk about liquid cocoa and in the section of debates will be the Glamstronomy, to reflect on the weight of the evaluations made in social networks by specialized guides and influencers in the sector. The proposal of competitions will also be promoted, with the second edition of the competitions, with the second edition of the best SteakTartar or what will serve to reward the best gastronomic Start Up, in a contest that has received more than 50 proposals and that will have the six best restaurants 50 proposals and will have the six finalists at the Fòrum Gastronòmic defending their product live.

Fòrum Gastronòmic all year round

Another of the announcements made today is the creation of the Fòrum Gastronòmic 360, a formula to make the professional show revolve throughout the year, offering activities ranging from unique gastronomic experiences to recovering new debates that may arise during the event and have not been dealt with during the year. Activities ranging from unique gastronomic experiences to recovering new debates that may arise during the event and that have not been dealt with in depth. 

During the four days of the show, visitors will be able to follow everything that happens through the Gastronomic Forum App, which will offer all the practical information they need in real time, with the in real time, with the program of activities, locations, schedules, speakers... with an outstanding interaction and networking functionality and with the streaming of some of the most important sessions of the event.

The presentation of the program of activities was also attended by the president of the Diputació de Girona, Miquel Noguer and the mayoress of Girona, Marta Madrenas.

The mayor emphasized that the Gastronomic Forum "is accessible to all, and that it becomes an Agora for knowledge transfer and a meeting point for experts and professionals", while the mayoress said that the Forum "is a great opportunity for all, and that it becomes an Agora for knowledge transfer and a meeting point for experts and professionals". Meeting point for experts and professionals", while Noguer focused on the promotion of health that is promoted from a Forum that "is a framework and mirror of what is happening in the region".

You will find all the information and the program of activities at www.forumgirona.com.

Girona, March 6, 2023