Begoña Rodrigo ('La Salita'), new 3 Suns Repsol Guide in a brilliant year for gastronomy

CARTAGENA (MURCIA), 4 Mar. (EUROPA PRESS) -

The El Batel Auditorium and Conference Center in Cartagena (Murcia) brought together this Monday, in an emotional and fun gala presented by Silvia Abril, the best chefs in the country to recognize, in a brilliant year for gastronomy, the 98 new Suns that join the Repsol Guide universe.

The president of the Community, Fernando López Miras, has highlighted the take-off of gastronomy in the Region of Murcia as "one of our great tourist potentials thanks to the union of the talent of our chefs and the quality of the raw materials we offer. We have much to contribute to the national gastronomic scene".

For his part, the president of Repsol, Antonio Brufau, has highlighted that "national gastronomy is experiencing an excellent moment that is confirmed in the recognition of the 98 new Soles that join the Repsol Guide 2024 family. Our vocation is to support and encourage the sector to become increasingly stronger and better known".

For Brufau, "gastronomic talent is spread throughout all corners of our country and the Region of Murcia is a clear example. Repsol's commitment to this autonomous community is reflected in the first renewable fuels plant in Spain, which is located in Cartagena, within an industrial center that is an engine of employment and economic dynamism".

María Ritter, director of the Repsol Guide, stressed during the event "the enthusiasm of Spanish chefs for investigating recipes and ingredients to make the experience unforgettable."

Begoña Rodrigo, the chef at 'La Salita' (Valencia) who has been creating her own universe for many years and giving polish to dishes that reveal the richness of her environment, is the new 3 Suns Repsol Guide 2024. The spotlight is on women who defend the place that corresponds to them with intelligence and commitment, like Fina Puigdevall and her daughter Martina Puigvert, Lucía Freitas or Irene López, new Sol Sostenible Awards.

The new 2 Soles 2024 stand out for their solid evolution and a marked personality: 'Almo' (Murcia), 'Ama' (Tolosa, Gipuzkoa), 'Atalaya' (Alcossebre, Castellón), 'Casa Julián' (Tolosa, Gipuzkoa), 'Hanging Houses' (Cuenca), 'Cobo Evolución' (Burgos), 'Since 1911' (Madrid), 'El Capricho' (Jiménez de Jamuz, León), 'Empòrium' (Castelló d'Empúries, Girona), 'Etéreo by Pedro Nel' (Santa Cruz de Tenerife), 'La Cúpula' (Costa Adeje, Tenerife), 'Le Bistroman L'Atelier' (Madrid), 'Nublo' (Haro, La Rioja), 'OSA' (Madrid), 'Tohqa' (El Puerto de Santa María, Cádiz) and 'Ugo Chan' (Madrid).

In the case of the Region of Murcia, 'Polea' and 'Por Herencia', both located in the capital, as well as 'El Poli' (Águilas) premiere with 1 Sol Repsol. With these additions, the Region has a total of 23 award-winning restaurants: 20 with Un Sol, 2 with Dos Soles and 1 with Tres Soles.

Among the new 81 Un Sol Repsol Guide and 271 Recommended, there are many chefs who have decided to return to the neighborhood of their childhood, moving away from the city centers and reinventing the gastronomic proposal of those off-the-beaten-track areas that are worth discovering.

In Madrid, for example, Jorge Muñoz and Sara Peral chose his grandmother's neighborhood, next to the Ribera del Manzanares, to start 'OSA' (2 Soles), while Lucía Gutiérrez and Sergio Vera, two young chefs Trained in 'Zuberoa', they moved to Legazpi to occupy the old premises of the family restaurant with 'Lur' (Recommended).

In Barcelona, ​​Fabio Gambirasi and Roser Asensio run 'Agreste' (1 Sol), an Italian space that seduces in El Coll; Meanwhile, Yoshikazu Suto offers intimate Japanese cuisine in the Sants neighborhood with 'Suto' (1 Sol). In Vigo, Víctor Conus has chosen San Roque to install the 'Mesa de Conus' gastronomic bar (Recommended); Meanwhile, Paco Villar recovers and adapts old recipes in the Arruzafilla neighborhood of Córdoba with 'Terra Olea' (1 Sol).

In Jerez de la Frontera, Juan Manuel Contreras surprises with 'Tuga' (Recommended) in Pozoalbero, and Àlex Vidal claims local gastronomy in 'Origen' in Valencia's La Petxina. They are the new neighbors who are revolutionizing the neighborhood with their kitchen.

Among the new Suns 2024 abound the heads of rooms who convey happiness: Lola Palace ('Alenda'), Laura Caparrós ('Ababol'), Leticia Palomo ('Ugo Chan') -Revelation Head of Room Award-, Begoña Mouse (' Sebe'), Beatriz Martinez ('Aitor Esnal'), Susanna Krcivoj ('Citrus of the Tancat'), Inma Nunez ('Omeraki'), Montse Abellà ('VelascoAbellà'), Cristina Lazaro ('Ricardo Temiño'), Maria Escobar ('Olives Food and Wines'), Dew King ('Borona Bistro') or Tati Churches ('Javier Montero').

Cuisine of stews, rice and stews go hand in hand with the most avant-garde, where the vegetables are sausages and the passes are a succession of cocktails paired with bites. The complex and ancient mastery of fire in the embers, which allows the naked product to speak for itself, continues to be the pillar on which many of these houses are based: the mythical 'Casa Julián' in Tolosa, 'El Capricho' in Jiménez de Jamuz, 'Tohqa' in El Puerto de Santa María, 'Flama' in Valencia or 'Char' in Tenerife.

Soles 2024 also embraces techniques, products and recipes from other corners, from Asian cuisine ('Pilar Akaneya' in Madrid, 'Omakase by Walt' in Mallorca or 'Suto' in Barcelona), French ('Bistroman L' Atelier' in Madrid), Italian ('Agreste' in Barcelona and 'Orobianco' in Alicante) or Colombian ('Etéreo by Pedro Nel' in Santa Cruz de Tenerife).

The Sustainable Sol Awards have gone to 'Les Cols' (3 Soles. Olot, Girona), 'A Tafona' (2 Soles. Santiago de Compostela, A Coruña), 'Loreto' (1 Sol. Jumilla, Region of Murcia) and 'La Revelía' (Recommended. Amorebieta, Bizkaia). José Miguel Herrero, general director of the Food Industry of the Ministry of Agriculture, Fisheries and Food, took the stage to present the awards; Valero Marín, general director of Customer Affairs at Repsol, and Marcos Fraga, director of Communication and Brand.

The responsible use of raw materials and efficient energy management are the main axes of these awards that, for the fourth consecutive year, recognize the sustainability of four kitchens with very diverse approaches and territories.

As an end to the party, chef David López ('Local de Ensayo', 1 Sol Guía Repsol, Murcia) has prepared the first vegetable menu for a gastro Gala that showcases the richness of the Region's gardens. A growing trend, as Ritter explains: "Vegetables are gaining space on the menus, replacing the classics associated with luxury as the main product on the plates, claiming the infinite possibilities of humble foods to which technique and know-how of the Suns turns into surprising delicacies".

With the new additions, 764 restaurants make up the Soles Guía Repsol universe (44 Tres Soles, 168 Dos Soles and 552 Un Sol) and 1,453 Recommended (with 271 new ones). Catalonia (115), Community of Madrid (101), Euskadi (71), Andalusia (74), Comunitat Valenciana (60) and Castilla y León (59) are the regions where the Suns shine the most.