In a setting that combines history, culture, and sustainability like Món Sant Benet, the Catalan Academy of Gastronomy and Nutrition has celebrated the delivery of the XXIII National Gastronomy Awards, recognizing the diversity, excellence, and cultural impact of the sector.
The gala, which for the second consecutive year distinguishes both author's cuisine and traditional cuisine, has consolidated itself as an essential event to understand the present and future of Catalan gastronomy.
And it is that gastronomy "is one of the main forces and heritages of Catalonia" and one of the best ways to show the country to the world, as proclaimed by the President of the Generalitat, Salvador Illa. "Catalonia is experiencing the best gastronomic moment in its history. Not only for international recognition or for having more Michelin stars than anyone else, but because in all municipalities you can find a good dish on the table." He closed his speech by quoting Néstor Luján: "There is no disdained dish in the kitchen when it is made in an authentic way."
For his part, the president of the Academy, Carles Vilarrubí, recalled that this is a sector that acts as a fundamental pillar of our economy, a way of life for thousands of professionals and a collective heritage that defines us. "From the countryside to the food industry, gastronomy vertebrated our country," he affirmed.
A generation with roots and a forward-looking vision
The National Award for Author's Cuisine Gastronomy has gone to Marc Gascons, chef of the Els Tinars restaurant (Llagostera), for a proposal that combines elegance, local product, and territorial roots. Trained with masters such as Joan Roca, Salvador Brugués, Carles Gaig, and Carme Ruscalleda, Gascons —third generation at the helm of an establishment with more than half a century of history— defends an honest and contemporary cuisine, recognized with a Michelin star that he has held since 2008.
At just 14 years old, he began working at Els Tinars, a restaurant that, under his leadership, has consolidated itself as a benchmark of Catalan gastronomy worldwide. During the ceremony, the chef emotionally expressed: "Here, at home, everyone has a first and last name. I try to keep my team motivated." He also wanted to highlight the essential role of his sister Elena and acknowledge his father's impulse: "Without him, none of this would have been possible." And he concluded: "We will continue pedaling, just as much or more."
Tribute to Fermí Puig, master of classic Catalan cuisine
The National Gastronomy Award for Traditional Cuisine, awarded in memoriam, has recognized the figure of Fermí Puig, a key chef in the dignification of classic Catalan cuisine. With a career that includes stints at elBulli, Drolma, and Petit Comitè, Puig advocated for intelligent and rigorous cuisine, far from the noise and focused on the essence. The tribute was led by his friends Ferran Adrià and Jordi Basté.
The journalist explained that he first met Puig as a Barça pundit and later as the chef of Drolma, "where he turned a dish into a political discourse." He defined him as "an extraordinarily wise man and great orator, a convinced Barcelona fan," and confessed that the capons for the family Christmas dinner were always cooked by Puig.
For his part, Adrià recounted that he met him by chance during military service in Cartagena: "When Fermí was at elBulli, I didn't even know what it was." He also explained that it was Puig who recommended him to take the reins of the Roses restaurant: "There my life changed." And he concluded with a smile: "He was very grateful and generous. Honest and humble. At elBulli everyone knew him as 'Fermineti'."
The dining room, the future, and the word
The National Gastronomy Awards, presented during a dinner by chef Iván Margalef (L'Ó restaurant, Michelin star), also sought to recognize excellence beyond the kitchen. The 2025 Head Waiter Award went to Montse Serra, from the Miramar restaurant in Llançà, the soul of a project with two Michelin stars that since 1939 has championed the sea as a landscape and as a gastronomic narrative. Serra was recognized for her sensitivity and her ability to transmit emotion from the dining room.
At just 27 years old, Moha Quach, chef of El Terrat de Tarragona, received the 2025 Revelation Award from the National Gastronomy Awards for a cuisine that connects family roots, local produce, and sustainability. Born in Morocco and based in Tarragona, he has built a free, brave, and committed proposal to the territory. During the event, Quach pointed out that, being originally from northern Morocco, he often realizes that the ingredients they work with there are very similar to those here, which allows him to establish a natural dialogue between both gastronomies.
The Special Academy Award 2025 has been given to the company Josper, founded in 1969 in Pineda de Mar and creator of one of the most iconic ovens in the world: the combination of grill and oven that has conquered professional kitchens in more than 100 countries. The company symbolizes the entrepreneurial and industrial side of Catalan gastronomy, with a family model that has managed to export innovation without losing authenticity.
National Gastronomy Awards: giving a voice to those who don't have one
The Néstor Luján Award for Gastronomic Journalism has been awarded to Mònica Ramírez, for the article La cuina puja al tractor (The kitchen gets on the tractor), published in Cuina magazine. With more than twenty years of experience, Ramírez explains that, with this text, she wanted to give voice and presence to those who often remain outside the media spotlight. "Most of the time we associate gastronomic journalism only with haute cuisine. And certainly, chefs have been key figures in making our country and our culinary culture visible, but they are only one part." She adds: "A large segment of gastronomy is made up of producers: people who are not so visible, who do not have loudspeakers, and without whose work there would be no gastronomy. Without them, we lose identity, essence, and cultural heritage."
Awards like these remind us that gastronomy is not just about cooking: it is also about explaining, listening, and recognizing. That behind every dish there is a whole ecosystem of people and trades that deserve visibility. And that only if we preserve this chain of values can we guarantee a sustainable, inclusive, and faithful gastronomic future to what we are.