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70 guests – chefs, sommeliers, distributors, importers, retailers and journalists attended an exclusive event designed to further enhance Spain's gastronomic image internationally.
Brussels provided the setting for one of the most ambitious international events dedicated to Spanish gastronomy: Spain Fusion The Premium Experience. The event was organised by Vocento Gastronomía, with support from Foods and Wines from Spain, the international brand of ICEX, which promotes the best Spanish products worldwide through the country's most renowned chefs and gastronomic experts.
The event took place at the nhow Brussels Bloom Hotel and combined inspiring talks, show cookings, masterclasses, tastings and degustations led by some of the biggest names in Spanish gastronomy, including Oriol Castro (Disfrutar*** and number 1 of The World’s 50 Best Restaurants, Barcelona), Diego Guerrero (DSTAgE**, Madrid), Joel Castanyé (La Boscana**, Bellvís, Lleida), Javier Sanz and Juan Sahuquillo (OBA*, Casa-Ibáñez, Albacete, and CEBO* in Madrid), and Ferran Centelles (wine expert at elBullifoundation). In addition, Master of Wine Fernando Mora, Juan Manuel del Rey (El Corral de la Morería*, Madrid), and Alfonso J. Fernández (Food Fetishist) provided various wine and olive oil tastings. The day was opened by Luis Martí, Director of Marketing & Business Development at Vocento Gastronomía, together with María Ortiz Aguilar, Economic and Commercial Advisor of the Spanish Trade Mission in Brussels.
One of the first presentations was given by Javier Sanz and Juan Sahuquillo, the young chefs from restaurant OBA (one Michelin star). They posed the question: “What exactly is a Spanish product?”. From their home region of La Manchuela, they demonstrated how Spain, with its 17 autonomous regions, 50 provinces, and hundreds of local areas, possesses enormous culinary diversity. They explained how this regional identity forms the basis of their cuisine and concluded their presentation with a live demonstration of a traditional 'escabeche' of Castilian rooster.
Joel Castanyé from restaurant La Boscana (two Michelin stars) presented one of the most striking show cookings of the day. He demonstrated how fruit no longer needs to be the closing act of a meal, but can instead form the starting point for gastronomic creativity. Together with farmers, researchers, technicians, chefs, and pâtissiers, he develops new applications where the ripeness of fruit is considered a fully-fledged ingredient. According to Castanyé, every ripening phase offers new flavours and possibilities.“Fruit may be a humble product, but it can lead to unique dishes that touch people deeply.” according to Castanyé.
Olive oil expert Alfonso J. Fernández gave a session on the different Spanish extra virgin olive oils. He described olive oil as a “liquid spice” that can transform any dish. During an aromatic tasting, he familiarised participants with the characteristic scent and flavour profiles of different olive varieties and emphasised that high-quality olive oil is never too expensive given its quality and versatility.
Diego Guerrero, chef of the restaurant DSTAgE (two Michelin stars), spoke about creativity as an essential part of Spanish gastronomy. He took the audience through his sources of inspiration – fashion, art, nature, sustainability, and creative freedom – and live prepared one of his iconic dishes: an edible artwork inspired by painter Mark Rothko. He also presented innovative concepts from his Impossibles LAB, including ideas such as Dry stock, Texture that defends itself, skin with memory EN the shadow of an ingredient.
The science behind wine Ferran Centelles, wine expert at elBullifoundation and correspondent for Jancis Robinson in Spain, gave a presentation on neuroscience and wine communication. He explained his contribution to Sapiens del Vino, the extensive encyclopaedic series within the Bullipedia project. His presentation was specifically aimed at sommeliers, chefs, and restaurateurs, demonstrating how scientific knowledge can contribute to better wine communication and a stronger hospitality business.
Master of Wine Fernando Mora led two extensive wine tastings. During the first tasting, participants were introduced to red wines from Aragón, Penedès, Ribera del Duero, and Bierzo, among others, paired with Spanish cheeses and Iberian ham. The concluding tasting focused on white wines and Sherry. Juan Manuel del Rey, from the Michelin-starred restaurant El Corral de la Morería, guided guests through the world of fortified wines, letting them taste an Oloroso with a solera nearing 200 years old. The wine tasting was accompanied by live flamenco guitar.
Spain Fusion The Premium Experience is a premium concept by Spain Fusion, organised by Vocento Gastronomía and supported by Foods and Wines from Spain (ICEX). The event brings together the best Spanish chefs and gastronomic experts to international markets to highlight the quality and versatility of Spanish agri-food products. During this exclusive edition, a maximum of 70 carefully selected professionals had the opportunity to discover the best Spanish products, including Iberian specialities, top wines, extra virgin olive oils, and other quality products, combined with high-level culinary demonstrations.
The event took place at the nhow Brussels Bloom Hotel, part of Minor Hotels Europe & Americas (formerly NH Hotel Group), which, with its NH, NH Collection, and nhow brands, has a strong global focus on gastronomy as part of the hotel experience.
Following the programme, a private meeting took place between representatives of Restaurants from Spain and the attending professionals. Present among others were María Naranjo, ICEX Agrofood Director, and José Miguel Herrero, Director-General of the Food Ministry of the Spanish Ministry of Agriculture, Fisheries and Food.
Restaurants from Spain is a quality label from Foods and Wines from Spain awarded to Spanish restaurants abroad that demonstrably use products of Spanish origin and certified quality (such as PDO and PGI) and serve authentic Spanish dishes.
The day concluded with an exclusive VIP dinner, organised by the Spanish Economic and Commercial Office in Brussels. During this dinner, iconic dishes from the participating chefs were served, accompanied by wines from Grandes Pagos de España and extra virgin olive oils from Grandes Pagos del Olivar.
