Valladolid Brings Together Leading Names in Gastronomy to Select the Best National and World Tapas

Valladolid announces the composition of the juries for the 22nd National Tapas Competition, City of Valladolid, and the 10th World Tapas Championship, City of Valladolid, two major events on the gastronomic calendar that will once again bring leading national and international professionals from the fields of cooking, criticism, communication and gastronomic culture together in the city.

Following the announcement of their presidents, Brazilian chef Janaína Torres, who will head the national jury, and chef Mario Sandoval, president of the world jury, the list of professionals who will participate in evaluating the entries in both competitions has now been completed.

The permanent jury of the 2026 National Tapas Competition, City of Valladolid, will consist of Aaron Ortiz, Cristina Jiménez and Juanlu Fernández, while Belén Sanz, José Manuel Bajo, Luis Moreno Maldonado, Marina Vega, Omar Allibhoy, Paz Ivison, Santiago Granda, Victoriano Porto and Xabier Gutiérrez will form part of the alternate jury.

At the World Tapas Championship, City of Valladolid, alongside its president, Mario Sandoval, the jury will include Cristina Jiménez, Gloria Lucía Martín, Janaína Torres, José Gómez, José Luis Prada, Leo Harlem, María Ritter, Rafael Pico Acevedo and Tony Abruscato.

The composition of both juries reflects the diversity of profiles that come together in these competitions, including renowned chefs, product specialists, representatives of gastronomic organisations, journalists, critics and culinary promotion professionals. This combination of experience and perspectives will help assess the participating entries from different angles and strengthen Valladolid’s standing as a leading gastronomic destination.

XXII National Tapas Competition, Ciudad de Valladolid

Brazilian chef Janaína Torres will chair the jury of the XXII National Tapas Competition. Internationally recognised for her commitment to accessible, sustainable gastronomy linked to Brazil’s cultural identity, she has stood out for championing local products and for her commitment to making high-quality cuisine accessible to a broad audience.

The permanent jury will consist of three professionals with distinguished careers. First, Juanlu Fernández, a chef from Jerez and owner of LÚ Cocina y Alma, a project he launched in 2017 alongside his wife and head of front of house, Dolce Nilda. The restaurant earned its first Michelin star in less than a year and its second in 2024, becoming a benchmark for fine dining in Jerez de la Frontera. It also holds two Repsol Suns and, in 2025, was awarded two knives in the international selection by The Best Chef.

Cristina Jiménez, who trained at the Hurtado de Mendoza Hospitality School, began her professional career working alongside chef Juan Morilla and subsequently broadened her experience at the Els Brancs restaurant in Girona. Her culinary approach draws on Granada’s culinary identity and the diversity of its territory, with a particular emphasis on Andalusian produce and the larder of the Costa Tropical. In November 2025, her restaurant Faralá received a Michelin star, the first awarded to an establishment in the city of Granada.

Completing the permanent jury is Aaron Ortiz, chef and co-owner of Kabo restaurant in Pamplona, who has established himself as one of the chefs with the greatest potential in contemporary Spanish gastronomy. His cuisine, centred on produce from Navarre’s vegetable gardens, seasonality and contemporary creativity, has placed Kabo among the country’s leading restaurants.

The alternate jury will consist of nine professionals bringing experience in areas such as culinary innovation, food criticism, communication and the promotion of quality products.

Xabier Gutiérrez, chef, writer and psychologist, headed the innovation department at Arzak restaurant in San Sebastián for more than three decades. He currently combines gastronomic outreach with business consultancy and teaching at the Basque Culinary Center. Joining him will be Victoriano Porto, an advanced technician in Hospitality and Tourism and a Michelin Guide inspector from 1988 to 2022, with extensive experience in gastronomic destinations across Spain, Portugal, Brazil and Argentina.

International representation will include Santiago Granda, rector of Ecuador’s Instituto Superior Tecnológico La Escuela de los Chefs and director of the Guayaquil Food Show, one of the country’s leading gastronomic events. Paz Ivison will also participate. A journalist specialising in gastronomy since 1987, she served as director of Club de Gourmets magazine for twenty years, and her career has been recognised with numerous awards.

Omar Allibhoy, a chef who trained alongside Ferran Adrià at elBulli restaurant, is one of the leading ambassadors of Spanish gastronomy in the United Kingdom, where he promotes initiatives to showcase Spanish cuisine and products. Marina Vega, a journalist specialising in gastronomy and regional culture, regularly contributes to publications such as Condé Nast Traveler, Guía Repsol, Guía Hedonista and GastroActitud.

Completing the jury are Luis Moreno Maldonado, a gastronomy enthusiast and former Repsol Guide inspector, with extensive knowledge of producers, food makers and chefs committed to quality; José Manuel Bajo, executive secretary of the National Sectoral Organisation for Olive Oil with Protected Designation of Origin and a specialist in promoting extra virgin olive oil; and Belén Sanz, a winemaker from Valladolid and technical director of Dehesa de los Canónigos winery in Ribera del Duero, recognised for her career in the wine industry.

X World Tapas Championship, Ciudad de Valladolid

The World Tapas Championship jury will be chaired by Mario Sandoval, chef at Coque restaurant in Madrid, which has been awarded two Michelin stars and three Repsol Suns. His career stands out for research, culinary innovation and respect for raw ingredients, establishing him as one of the leading figures in Spanish gastronomy.

Joining him will be Janaína Torres, a Brazilian chef internationally recognised for championing accessible, sustainable gastronomy linked to her country’s cultural identity. She will also chair the jury of the National Tapas Competition. Cristina Jiménez, chef at Faralá restaurant in Granada, will also be part of the jury. Her culinary approach combines Andalusian tradition with a contemporary perspective and a focus on local produce.

The agri-food sector will be represented by José Gómez, managing director of Joselito and a member of the fifth generation of a family that has been producing Iberian products in Guijuelo since 1868. Also participating will be José Luis Prada, founder of Prada a Tope and a leading figure in promoting the wines, products and gastronomy of El Bierzo. They will be joined by Gloria Lucía Martín, chef and co-owner, alongside her husband Elías Martín, of El Empalme restaurant in Rionegro del Puente (Zamora), recognised for its work with wild mushrooms and game meats.

Gastronomic communication and outreach will be represented by María Ritter, director of the Guía Repsol since 2015, during which time she has driven the publication’s renewal and the evolution of the Repsol Suns rating system. Rafael Pico Acevedo, managing director of ASOLIVA and a member of the Board of Directors of the Spanish Olive Oil Interprofessional Organisation, also brings extensive experience in international trade and agri-food markets.

Completing the jury are Tony Abruscato, Marketing Director of the Texas Restaurant Association and head of the Texas Restaurant Show, one of the leading professional foodservice events in the southwestern United States, through which he promotes international collaboration within the sector; and Leo Harlem, one of Spain’s most popular comedians, closely associated with Valladolid and known for his relatable, everyday-life comedy monologues.

The National Tapas Competition, ‘Ciudad de Valladolid’, and the World Tapas Championship, ‘City of Valladolid’, are organised by Valladolid City Council, through the Valladolid Tourism Promotion Joint Association, together with the Provincial Association of Hospitality Businesses. They are sponsored by the Spanish Olive Oil Interprofessional Organisation, Inhostel, Alimentos de Valladolid, Valladolid Provincial Council, Dehesa de los Canónigos, Aquavall, Pago de Valdecuevas, Sarawak, Raíz Culinaria, Mercedes–Adarsa, Coca-Cola, Beher, Baena PDO Olive Oil and Mercaolid, with the collaboration of Pan de Valladolid, Escuela Alcazarén, Valladolid Chamber of Commerce, International Culinary School, the Confectioners’ Association and the Hotel Association.