Tickets to attend this ninth edition can be purchased through the website www.feriagrancanariamegusta.es or at the box office at the price of 1.50 euros.

The programme of activities includes gastronomic exhibitions; children’s workshops; tastings, samplings and product presentations; as well as a large exhibition space for direct sales.

The meeting par excellence with the primary sector and the gastronomic sector of Gran Canaria is already taking place at Infecar. The ninth edition of the Gran Canaria Me Gusta Fair opened its doors this morning, with the sensation of returning to one of the major events on the island’s trade fair calendar at 100%, after having had to hold the previous edition with the restrictions of the health pandemic.

From today, the fairgrounds will be hosting more than fifty exhibitors and eight producers’ associations, who will be exhibiting their produce at the fair for direct purchase by visitors, complemented by a carefully planned programme of activities, inviting visitors to sample the excellence of the local produce.

The president of the Cabildo de Gran Canaria, Antonio Morales, inaugurated the Fair this morning, accompanied by the councillor for the Primary Sector and Food Sovereignty, Miguel Hidalgo; the councillor for Industry and Trade, Minerva Alonso; the technical coordinator for Economic Development, Energy Sovereignty, Climate and Knowledge, Raúl García; and the general manager of Infecar, Natalia Santana; as well as a large representation of mayors of the island, sponsors and collaborators of this event.

“This is the big annual event for the primary sector on the island of Gran Canaria. Here we will be able to see the continued work of the men and women of agriculture, livestock, viticulture… and the primary sector as a whole on our island, which is essential to protect the territory and the landscape, create local employment, eat fresher food, reduce the ecological footprint, maintain our traditions and our values as a people,” said Antonio Morales.

In addition, the president has highlighted the importance of gastronomy “which is increasingly having a greater impact not only locally but also internationally, something that is evident in awards such as Michelin Stars, Repsol Suns or recommendations”. Thus, this event will once again bring together at Infecar renowned chefs from the national and local scene to highlight the value of the gastronomic sector in our country, with the raw material of our land as the protagonist.

This year’s edition of the Gran Canaria Me Gusta Fair features Ricard Camarena, (Ricard Camarena, two Michelin Stars, one Green Star for Sustainability and three Repsol Suns), Carlos Maldonado, (Raíces, one Michelin Star and one Sustainable Sun) and Teresa Gutiérrez (Azafrán, Recommended by the Michelin Guide) as far as national chefs are concerned; and Borja Marrero, Richard Díaz, Jenisse Ferrari, Carmelo Mújica, Rubén Parra, Lolo Román and Juan Manuel Calvo, for local chefs. In addition, this year the role of host chef has been given for the first time to Braulio Simancas (Tasca El Silbo Gomero).

On this first day, SPAR Gran Canaria’s collaborating chef, Lolo Román, was in charge of opening the kitchen with a gastronomic exhibition in which he prepared a ceviche with Canarian touches.

He was followed by the final of the Regional Cooking Competition in the New Talents category, with the participation of Carmen Sarah Rodríguez, from the Hotel Escuela Santa Cruz de Tenerife; Fernando Guadalupe, from the Hotel Escuela Santa Brígida; and Domingo Juárez, also from the Hotel Escuela Santa Brígida, who was finally the winner thanks to his preparation of suckling pig terrine confit in ear fat with crispy ear, loquat foam and fermented tomato.

The morning continued with the final of the first Canary Islands Regional Sommelier Competition, which went to Iván Monreal, the winner in the first edition of this competition which aims to promote, train and educate, as well as to professionalise and disseminate knowledge of the wines and other gastronomic products of the Canary Islands and what they symbolise.

The main attraction in terms of gastronomic exhibitions at this edition will take place tomorrow, Saturday, from 16.00 hours, when they will take to the stage in Pavilion 5 of Infecar: Borja Marrero, Ricard Camarena, Teresa Gutiérrez and Carlos Maldonado, accompanied by Braulio Simancas, to show their skills when it comes to integrating Gran Canaria produce into their preparations.

The cookers of the Gran Canaria Me Gusta Fair will be lit throughout the weekend with live demonstrations by SPAR Gran Canaria, Fagor Profesional and Alcampo; as well as the Regional Artisan Pastry and Confectionery Competition; the Regional Cooking Competition in the Professional category, in which the chef Braulio Simancas will perform a showcooking in front of the public; and the Popular Pastry Competition.

16th Gran Canaria 2021 Official Honey Competition Awards Ceremony

This afternoon, from 18.00 hours, the Department of Primary Sector and Food Sovereignty will hold the prize-giving ceremony for the 16th Gran Canaria 2021 Official Honey Competition. This competition will once again help to raise the profile of a minority sector of livestock farming, but one that is no less important for that reason.
Children’s workshops

SPAR Gran Canaria, sponsor of the Gran Canaria Me Gusta Fair for the last seven editions, will be holding three sessions of the Fruit Art Workshop for children today, aimed at promoting the consumption of fruit and vegetables on a daily basis.

In addition, on this occasion, the Gran Canaria Me Gusta Fair will have Pablo Nin Hernández, a participant in the eighth edition of Masterchef Junior, as a junior chef on Saturday and Sunday. Pablo, accompanied by Alejandro de la Nuez, executive chef of the Santa Mónica Suites, will guide the children during the preparation of the recipes, made up of different products from the island.

With this activity, organised by the Chamber of Commerce of Gran Canaria, the Gran Canaria Me Gusta Fair aims to show the importance of supporting the local produce of the island and, through a didactic, dynamic and interactive cooking workshop, to teach and train the senses of children through visual, olfactory and gustatory recognition of different typical products of the island, as well as their identification with the geographical area that produces them.

Primary Sector Activities

The Product Classroom and the Knowledge Classroom, where visitors can taste and learn about the tastes and sensations of our land, are once again two of the main attractions of this Gran Canaria Me Gusta Fair. During the fair, participants have the opportunity to discover aspects linked to the product, its production and preparation, highlighting its identity and emphasising its importance for the island.

Those interested in taking part in these sessions can register directly at the Gran Canaria Me Gusta Fair, until full capacity is reached. With a wide-ranging programme that includes tastings of yoghurt, potatoes, salt, cheese and cider, as well as workshops on honey, wool, beer, medicinal plants and sugar cane, among others, the aim is to raise awareness of the product and the rural world in order to value it as a vital space for development.

The Gran Canaria Me Gusta Fair also has a space for Gran Canaria Meat, with an extensive programme of activities linked to the island’s livestock; Mucho Más Que Pesca, in collaboration with the Gran Canaria Coastal Action Group, with a space for the direct sale of fish from six fishermen’s guilds and cooperatives; and the Espacio el Sereto, Rural Value, where different associations and groups give talks and workshops related to the primary sector and its products.

In addition to all of the above, Primary Sector will also carry out the Gran Canaria Wine Route, a project that highlights the wine-growing landscape and the wine culture of Gran Canaria from a gastronomic tourism perspective and in which the experiences and products are approached as a journey through the landscapes of the wine culture of Gran Canaria enriched with wine tastings.

Acknowledgement What a good thing! Gran Canaria Me Gusta

From 11.00 a.m. on Sunday 1st May, the award ceremony of the ¡Qué bueno! Gran Canaria Me Gusta for Excellence in Commitment to Local Produce, promoted by the Cabildo de Gran Canaria, with the aim of highlighting those restaurants that, beyond their style of cuisine, have the produce of the island of Gran Canaria as the main basis of their proposal.

Previously, a specialised jury has already chosen twelve restaurants on the island that meet these parameters, which are the following: La Trastienda de Chago (Gáldar), La Tunera (Telde), Casa Romántica (Agaete), Nelson (Agüimes), Casa Enrique (Mogán), Biocrepería Risco Caído (Artenara) and El Padrino, Muxgo, El Equilibrista33, Cuernocabra, Tabaiba and El Bento Japonés, (in Las Palmas de Gran Canaria).

All of them will be present after receiving their well-deserved recognition and the jury will announce the verdict of the restaurant that will have the honour of being the first on the island of Gran Canaria to receive the award for excellence in commitment to local produce, in a project that looks set to continue in the years to come.

Origins Professional Conference

The final climax to the Gran Canaria Me Gusta Fair will take place on Monday 2 May with the Origins Professional Conference, aimed at the gastronomy sector: chefs, restaurateurs, wait staff, sommeliers, the primary sector, etc. and organised by the Regional Ministry of Industry and Commerce.

Participating in this conference will be the chefs Dabiz Muñoz (Diverxo, three Michelin Stars and three Repsol Suns); Aser Martín (Tabaiba, one Repsol Sun and Michelin Guide Recommendation); Carmelo Florido (El Equilibrista 33, one Repsol Sun and Bib Gourmand); Abraham Ortega (Tabaiba, one Repsol Sun and Michelin Guide Recommendation); José Luis Espino (Brevir, recommended by Guía Repsol); Juan Diego Sandoval (Coque, three Michelin Stars and three Repsol Suns); Juan Santiago (Hestia, recommended by Guía Repsol); Juanlu Fernández (Lú Cocina y Alma, one Michelin Star and two Repsol Suns); and Pepe Solla (Casa Solla, one Michelin Star and three Repsol Suns).

Orígenes will be held from 10.00 to 18.00 hours and registration to take part in this event can now be made at www.feriagrancanariamegusta.es.

Ticket sales

Visitors can get their tickets to attend the ninth edition of the Gran Canaria Me Gusta Fair on the website www.feriagrancanariamegusta.es. Also, on this occasion, the fair has a live broadcast of the contents of the programme on the web so that those interested in following it and who are unable to attend the fair can do so virtually.

The cost of the entrance ticket is 1.50 euros and the opening hours of the Gran Canaria Me Gusta Fair will be from 9.30 am to 8.00 pm on Friday 29th and Saturday 30th April; and from 9.30 am to 4.00 pm on Sunday 1st May.

The Gran Canaria Me Gusta Fair is promoted and financed by the Cabildo de Gran Canaria and organised by Infecar. The Fair also has SPAR Gran Canaria as sponsor, Cajasiete as official collaborator; the Chamber of Commerce of Gran Canaria, Fegastrocan, Fagor Profesional, as collaborators; and Alcampo as official product supplier.