• This year’s event reinforces its commitment to local produce, sustainability and generational renewal in Canarian gastronomy
• Tickets for the fair, which will make its debut at the Agüimes Exhibition Centre, are now on sale at feriagrancanariamegusta.es

Gran Canaria Me Gusta Fair is celebrating its 13th edition this year, further strengthening its position as the leading event for the primary sector, the agri-food industry and local gastronomy. This year, it also does so by prioritising local talent over nationally and internationally renowned professionals. Gran Canaria Me Gusta Fair will therefore take place from Friday 8 to Sunday 10 May at the Agüimes Exhibition Centre, marking its debut in the south-east of Gran Canaria.

The president of the Cabildo de Gran Canaria, Antonio Morales, stated that the fair “is a platform to showcase the excellence of local and nearby produce, the produce of our land, with an increasing number of activities and experts helping to highlight artisanal production and enhance the value of local produce”.

Among these experts will be some of the professionals behind the seven Michelin stars currently held by Gran Canaria, “a reflection of the sector’s commitment to quality”, as well as professionals from other islands. Indeed, as a new feature this year, the event “opens up to the rest of the archipelago, inviting other islands to contribute the cuisines of all the Canary Islands, while always maintaining the absolute prominence of Gran Canaria produce”, as explained by the Councillor for Economic Development, Industry, Trade and Crafts, Minerva Alonso. She added that this decision responds to the intention of giving greater visibility to generational renewal and highlighting the quality and creativity of the archipelago’s cuisine.

Taking part in this edition of Gran Canaria Me Gusta Fair will be chefs such as Nelson Pérez, from Restaurante Nelson; Alexander Herrera, from Sábor; pastry chef Rubén Zulay from La Palma; Pedro Nel Restrepo, from the Tenerife-based restaurant Etéreo; and Alexis Neketán, chef at Pastelería Neketán, among many others.

A high-quality primary sector

Gran Canaria Me Gusta Fair not only seeks to facilitate the marketing of local produce, encourage local consumption and strengthen ties between producers and companies within the island’s economic network; it also aims to give visibility and value to the primary sector by bringing local produce closer to the public through a gastronomic programme that includes live demonstrations, tastings and specialised workshops, while also enabling direct sales.

The event will feature 17 municipal stands and 46 other exhibitors, as well as three annex tents dedicated to Gran Canaria meats, gastronomic demonstrations and children’s workshops. The island director for Agriculture, Livestock and Fisheries of Gran Canaria, Alejandro Báez, highlighted the fair’s layout around two main activity areas, joined by a renewed Wine Area with more space for tasting sessions.

In short, it is “a design that will allow visitors to sit down and taste specific dishes where the star product is at the centre of the preparation”, and in which both the Gran Canaria Meat Area and the Much More than Fishing space will highlight livestock products and artisanal fish, as well as “the importance of their direct consumption”.

In this context, he also underlined the importance of a livestock sector that is “becoming increasingly sustainable, achieving the result that more than 70% of the meat consumed in the islands passes through Gran Canaria’s slaughterhouses, thanks to close work with associations and local markets”.

In addition to the prominence given to local chefs, this 13th edition of the fair also introduces other new features, such as a change in the format of the gastronomic demonstrations. Instead of the traditional two-chef cooking format, this year the ‘Tú a tú’ workshops will see renowned food journalists acting as kitchen assistants to leading chefs from across the islands.

As in previous editions, the event will also feature an activity programme including children’s workshops led by Sophie Arellano, finalist of MasterChef Junior 11, fruit art activities promoted by SPAR Gran Canaria, and tastings of craft beers and artisan cheeses, among many other attractive activities for attendees.

There will also be a tasting and food area with food trucks, allowing visitors to take a break while enjoying local products, thus rounding out the overall fair experience.

Ticket sales are now live on the official website, feriagrancanariamegusta.es, although tickets may also be purchased at the event box office for €1.50. The same website also provides access to the booking form for children’s activities and the full programme of scheduled events.

The fair is promoted and funded by the Cabildo de Gran Canaria and organised by Infecar, Feria de Gran Canaria. It has Cajasiete as official partner and the collaboration of the Gran Canaria Me Gusta project, the Gran Canaria Chamber of Commerce and Agüimes Town Council. In addition, SPAR Gran Canaria is a sponsor of the fair and Equipatel is the official equipment sponsor.