"We detect initiatives that help transform the world from the kitchen"

Since that first edition in Vic in 1999, with only thirty exhibitors, the Gastronomic Forum Barcelona has consolidated itself as a benchmark and a showcase for new trends in the gastronomic sector. Palau and his team have given a voice to both big names in gastronomy and less visible projects and people, providing them with a prominent space on the culinary scene.

This year, after Catalunya's designation as World Region of Gastronomy 2025, the event focuses on topics such as Catalan cuisine, the transformative power of gastronomy, and the influence of the 90s generation. Under the motto (Re)think hospitality, the event includes more than one hundred presentations, round tables, and showcookings, in addition to the stands of brands and projects linked to the sector. We spoke with the co-director about the evolution of this initiative and its commitment to the environment, roots, and building a better world.

--- Why is it necessary to rethink hospitality?

--- The pandemic accelerated changes that were already on the horizon, such as new perspectives on schedules and shifts. These were issues that seemed immutable, but suddenly received an impulse that has favored a series of changes. We want to give a voice to those who are rethinking hospitality, exploring new models, businesses, and formats.

--- Many of these chefs come from the 90s generation, to whom you dedicate one of the axes of this edition.

--- It is a generation that acts without some prejudices that previous generations had, such as the idea that hospitality is only possible if you work 12 or 18 hours a day and without closing any day of the week. This generation is demonstrating that it is possible to run economically sustainable hospitality businesses, considering work-life balance and working conditions and putting people at the center. We are not saying that it should be done in one way or another, but rather we are showing what is happening.

--- You also focus on the transformative power of cuisine.

--- This is not the first year we have done it. For some time now, we have detected examples of initiatives that, in a less media-driven way, help transform the world from the kitchen, making it more just and livable and promoting society's progress with human values.

--- Tell us some examples of guests who will address these topics.

--- On stage, we will have chef Selassie Atadika, who will speak about her work in cocoa cultivation and how it contributes to the empowerment of women in Ghana; Andrés Torres, chef and reporter known for his work in Lebanon and Gaza, and recent winner of the Basque Culinary World Prize 2024; Toño Pérez and José Polo, who, with the Atrio Foundation, give back to society part of what they believe they have received from it; and Lourdes Reyzábal, from the Raíces Foundation, who helps, through cooking, to integrate migrants arriving in our country.

--- The third major theme will be Catalan cuisine. How do you think it can maintain its identity while incorporating new trends?

--- That's the big question! At the Forum, we will try to answer it with different interventions in various formats. There will be a very interesting dialogue with Carme Ruscalleda, Maria Nicolau, Eduard Xatruch, and Jordi Vilà, talking about the current state of Catalan cuisine, if it has a future... You will also be able to taste Catalan cuisine. We will do this with a festival throughout Tuesday, in which Víctor Quintillà, Joel Castañé, Nandu Jubany, Albert Raurich, Artur Martínez, Jordi Vila, and Albert Ventura, among others, will participate.

--- In the selection of exhibitors, you also achieve a balance between major references and lesser-known names.

--- At the Forum, there is space for everyone, and the fair demonstrates this. We always have large companies, who see an opportunity here to project their brand, build loyalty, and attract customers. But, alongside them, there are also small producers who are part of the Forum's DNA and who also do business. Many visitors come with the idea of discovering products that they would hardly find so gathered and organized in one place.

"In the last two decades, we have seen a generation of chefs of unparalleled stature emerge"

--- The repercussion is enormous. There are small restaurants that, suddenly, receive a lot of attention, and people start to recognize their importance. We will also have The Baker award, for excellence in bakery, and the Award for the Best Artisan Chocolate Panettone in Spain.

--- You have always given a lot of importance to the world of sweets.

--- Already in 1999 we talked about sweet cuisine and pastry, and we have continued to do so. It is a topic that has evolved with us and we have seen pastry chefs grow who are now great references.

--- For the first time you are holding the Spanish Pizza by Passion Championship. Is gastronomic pizza another trend in the sector?

--- Pizza has managed to elevate itself to a gastronomic category without ceasing to be a popular food. That is why we have created a new space and a competition for pizzerias from all over Spain to compete, as well as sessions where great pizzerias will show their best creations. We will feature figures such as Francesco Martucci, Jorge Sastre and Rafa Panatieri.

--- How do you manage to detect these trends?

--- By being on the ground, thinking about the protagonists, always being close to those who promote initiatives... When you see that something is not only happening in one place, but also kilometers away and, sometimes, on the other side of the world, you think: "Hey, watch out!: Something is happening here." It's not that we are wise, but, by acting as a loudspeaker, we help some projects come true.

"We have created a meeting point for gastronomy lovers and professionals"

--- It's a bit dizzying to look back and see everything that has happened; so many things that it seems like a century has passed. From the birth of elBulli as we know it, to the training of chefs who are now stars and who, at that time, came to the Forum as students from hospitality schools. We have been part of this culinary movement that our country has experienced during these two decades, thanks to that genius who is Ferran Adrià. And we have seen a generation of chefs of unparalleled stature emerge.

--- What makes you feel most satisfied after all these years?

--- Two things: first, being able to do the work I am passionate about and experience it with the same enthusiasm year after year; second, seeing the impact it has. When companies come to the Forum and do business, I think: "Bingo, this is what we were looking for!" It also comforts me to see that everyone who participates in the activities says they have come "to do Forum," to connect with the human atmosphere. We have created a meeting point for gastronomy lovers and professionals that, year after year, continues to grow.