• The national chefs invited to this tenth edition, Carito Lou, Juanjo López, Marta Verona, Tomeu Arbona and María José Orero, performed their gastronomic exhibitions.
• The other main protagonists of the day were the younger ones, who cooked accompanied by the winner of the eighth edition of MasterChef Junior, Aurora Ruiz.

Las Palmas de Gran Canaria, Saturday 22 April 2023-. The Gran Canaria Me Gusta Fair, which inaugurated its tenth edition on Friday, is celebrating its second day today with the guests of honour, the chefs Carito Lourenço (Restaurante Fierro, one MICHELIN Star and one Sol Repsol), Juanjo López (La Tasquita de Enfrente, recommended by the MICHELIN Guide and two Repsol Suns), Marta Verona (winner of the sixth edition of Masterchef Spain), and Tomeu Arbona and María José Orero (founders of Fornet de la Soca).

All of them have taken over the kitchen of the Fair to perform their gastronomic exhibitions, welcomed by the host of this edition, the chef and owner of the Restaurant El Equilibrista 33, BIB Gourmand of the MICHELIN Guide and two Repsol Suns, Carmelo Florido.

Tomeu Arbona and María José Orero, from Fornet de la Soca, were the first to take the stage to explain how they work in their successful workshop, where the most important thing is that “food prevails as a cultural value”; to this end, they work daily to rescue old recipes and ways of preparing food, using the produce of their island, Mallorca, as the main focus. For her part, the chef of the Fierro Restaurant, Carito Lou, spoke about her restaurant’s Spanish-Argentine proposal and cooked a dish with a flavour of Valencia and also of Gran Canaria, as she used products from the island such as cheese, passion fruit and
potatoes. Juanjo López from La Tasquita de Enfrente (recommended by the MICHELIN Guide and two Repsol Suns) showed in his exhibition the importance of simplicity in the kitchen and, finally, the winner of the sixth edition of MasterChef, Marta Verona, spoke about the search for the perfect balance between gastronomy and healthy eating.

Promoted and financed by the Cabildo de Gran Canaria and organised by Infecar, the Gran Canaria Me Gusta Fair has already been visited by more than five thousand people who have come to the fair to enjoy this showcase of zero kilometre products and gastronomy, its extensive programme of activities and the children’s workshops.

The latter were also the protagonists of this second day; the youngest were guided by the winner of the eighth edition of MasterChef Junior, Aurora Ruiz, who was accompanied by the executive chef of the Santa Mónica Suites, Alejandro de la Nuez, during the preparation of recipes made with products from the island. Once they had finished their dishes, the children enjoyed a blind tasting of liquefied fruits. Aurora’s children’s workshops will continue this Saturday afternoon and tomorrow Sunday.

On a local note, the chefs invited to this edition of the Fair, Miguel and Alberto Herrera, from Restaurante Camino al Jamonal, Adrián García and Kilian Nordelo from La Catedral Bistro, and Dana Joher, master pastry chef at Ave Pastelería Artesana, will be in the kitchen from this afternoon at 4 p.m. to give the public a demonstration of how they incorporate the flavours of Gran Canaria into their culinary creations. The chefs from the Casa Romántica Restaurant in Agaete, Víctor Lugo and Aridani Alonso, and Rubén Medina from the Pastería Zulay Bakery in La Palma, will be the stars of the exhibitions that will take place tomorrow on what will be the last day of the Fair.

Primary Sector Activities

The aromas and flavours of salts, jams and vegetables from Gran Canaria, as well as rum and beer, kicked off the Saturday morning activities in the Aula del Conocimiento. In the Aula del Producto, those attending were able to learn about cheeses, yoghurt, wines and the island’s fist bread; while in the space dedicated to Gran Canarian Meat, they discovered the potential of goat, beef, sheep and rabbit meat and will be looking for the best roast leg on the island.

The Aula Mucho más que pesca continued with its demonstration of the handling of fish products and tasting sessions, and in the Aula El Sereto, the day was all about the best fish products day revolved around the traditional herbs of Gran Canaria, gofio and wine. The cheeses of Flor, Media Flor and Guía, the turrón de fiesta and the banana, among many other foods, will be the local products that will bid farewell to the Primary Sector Activities of this Fair tomorrow, Sunday.

Gran Canaria Me Gusta Regional Cooking Competition

The finalists in the Professional category of the Gran Canaria Me Gusta Regional Cooking Competition will face the Fair’s kitchens and the competition’s jury tomorrow. The winner of this edition of the competition will be announced this Sunday at 11 am; the event will be accompanied by a gastronomic exhibition by the winning chef of the last edition, Ruymán González Artiles.

Jornada Profesional Orígenes

La Feria clausurará su décima edición el lunes, 24 de abril, con la celebración del VI Congreso Gastronómico Orígenes, una jornada dedicada a los profesionales del sector gastronómico, cocineros, restauradores, personal de sala, sumilleres, sector primario, etc. y organizada por la consejería de Industria y Comercio. En esta ocasión, los restaurantes Tabaiba (una Estrella MICHELIN y un Sol Repsol, de Abraham Ortega y Aser Martin) y Borneo (Cristina Monge), El Bento (Teresa Moon) y 222 S W (Mikel González), entre muchos otros profesionales, mostrarán la influencia de la cultura asiática en la identidad gastronómica de Gran Canaria.

Venta de entradas

Las entradas para asistir a la décima edición de la Feria Gran Canaria Me Gusta pueden adquirirse, por 1,50 euros, a través de la web www.feriagrancanariamegusta.es y en la taquilla del recinto. El horario de apertura será hoy sábado hasta las 19.30 horas y mañana domingo de 9.30 a 16.00 horas.

La Feria Gran Canaria Me Gusta está promovida y financiada por el Cabildo de Gran Canaria y organizada por Infecar. Asimismo, la Feria cuenta con SPAR Gran Canaria, Alcampo y El Corte Inglés como patrocinadores, Cajasiete como colaborador oficial; y Gran Canaria Me Gusta, la Cámara de Comercio de Gran Canaria, Fegastrocan y Fagor Profesional.