#News • 31 January 2025

Balfegó at a historic edition of “Madrid Fusión Revolucionarios”

Balfegó took an active part in the 23rd edition of “Madrid Fusión Alimentos de España,” and it did so with a presence at some of the key moments of the convention, which concluded with 1,874 participants, 26,104 visitors, and 232 exhibiting companies—the foremost edition in its history. This edition paid tribute to chefs who learned their craft within the dynamic currents of the culinary revolution that took root in Spain over thirty years ago.

Visitors from 63 countries and the largest gathering of chefs in its 23 editions visited Balfegó’s stand, where they sampled various cuts of Balfegó Bluefin Tuna, on dishes prepared by the kitchen team at TunatecaBalfegó and from chef Rafel Muria (Rest.  Quatre Molins*).

Of its nearly 200 presentations and panel discussions held on the official stages over three days simultaneously, Balfegó sponsored some of the most notable ones. On the opening Monday of the convention, the session led by Chef Quique Dacosta (Quique Dacosta Restaurant *** – Dénia, Alicante) was a standout, captivating as always with his artistry in the presentation `For the love of art ́.

One of the most anticipated moments in the main auditorium was the presentation ‘The 72 seasons and the food spiral of Kyoto,’ also sponsored by Balfegó and featuring the work of Katsuhito Inoue, chef at Chef’s Table by Katsuhito Inoue (Kyoto, Japan).He crafted a live winter masterpiece inspired by “Mizusawa kooritsume,” a segment of the 72 micro-seasons. This period signifies the peak of winter, marked by ice covering the surface of the stream.

On Tuesday, the main auditorium paid tribute to the revolutionaries. Thirty years ago, Spanish cuisine amazed the world, and in its 23rd edition, Madrid Fusión Alimentos de España 2025 sought to analyze the reasons and factors that fueled that revolution, which spread globally from 1995 and shifted the world’s gastronomic epicenter to Spain.
This event will be remembered through the voices of its main protagonists, along with many others who remained part of that movement or continue to carry its banner today.

Many chefs have contributed to shaping what our country’s cuisine is today—a tremendous collective effort built on teamwork and camaraderie, sharing knowledge, and valuing each other’s work. At Balfegó, we recognize this dedication in a special way and pay tribute to one of the greatest figures in Spanish haute cuisine, Martín Berasategui, who serves as a global gastronomic ambassador for Balfegó.

Between the ages of 15 and 27, Martín trained in France, learning from Jean Paul Heinard in Bayonne, and, in Anglet, with André Mandion. In charcuterie, he deepened his knowledge under François Brouchican in the town of Ustaritz, and in cuisine with Bernard Lacarrau in Labatut. However, it was with the remarkable chef Didier Oudill, the first head chef at the glamorous Les Prés d’Eugénie spa alongside Michel Guerard that he truly connected with haute cuisine. He later went on to work with Alain Ducasse at the renowned Louis XV restaurant in Monaco.

Martín Berasategui‘s reputation is unmatched; he has the most MICHELIN Stars of any Spanish chef in the country and ranks third worldwide. His remarkable journey began on May 1, 1993, when he and his wife, Oneka Arregui, opened Restaurante Martín Berasategui in Lasarte-Oria, just 7 km from San Sebastián.

At the Multi-Purpose Stage, as the evening drew to a close, all the nominees for Chef Revelación by Balfegó took the stage to showcase their culinary skills in the exciting and fast-paced presentation ‘The Chefs Revelación Go for Tapas with Balfegó.’ Each nominee was challenged to create a dish using their favorite cut of tuna, turning the session into a thrilling display of talent and creativity. 

And so began the cooking show with Beatriz Fernández & Rodrigo Fernández (Rest. Arsa, Logroño).

Their dish clearly reflected their Andalusian influences, which they showcase in Logroño. Their creation was Balfegó Bluefin Tuna Chin in ‘manteca colorá.’ 

Next up, the Andalusians Rita Llames & Manu Lachica (Rest. Leartá, Seville).

They transported us to their kitchen in Seville with a stunning ‘Pellejito’ with fennel and salsa verde, where the duo masterfully used Balfegó bluefin tuna belly and skin to craft their dish.

Ausiàs Signes (Rest. Ausiàs. Pedreguer, Alicante) took the stage to present their creation, which also featured tuna belly as the star ingredient.

Their dish was an original Tuna Belly in ‘MIG ESCABETX’ with ‘puchero’ and chard, where the chefs aimed to highlight the flavors of their region.

Iciar Pérez Cejas & Juan Carlos Pérez (Rest. Moral. Santa Cruz de Tenerife) shared the stage with the chefs from Alicante.

The chefs from the Canary Islands presented a Marinated Balfegó Tuna with boiled mojo.Using the tuna loin, the chef duo created an intriguing dish featuring a legendary element of Canarian cuisine: mojo.

The very young Lucía Gutiérrez (Rest.Lur, Madrid) demonstrated with character, technique, and knowledge that young people are not at odds with being a great professional in the kitchen.

She aimed to highlight the nobility of bluefin tuna in a truly traditional dish: Madrid-style tuna tripe stew with a seafood chorizo sando, crafted using Balfegó Bluefin Tuna Tripe.

Lucía presented the chorizo sando as a small bite served off the plate. She crafted it using tuna belly, which she had previously transformed into seafood chorizo, before utilizing its interior.

Another young cook from Catalonia, Ángel Esteve (Rest.Sisé, Lleida), worked in parallel with Lucia.

The chef from Lleida presented a Semi-cured rib, fresh herb mash, and oxidized tuna broth with marrow.In its preparation, he used the rib, tripe, belly, and marrow, which is found in the spine.

The communicator and food critic, Esteban Capdevila, concluded the presentations of the Breakout Chefs 2025 with Claudia Merchan and Axel Smyth (Rest.Simpar*. Santiago de Compostela).

The duo of chefs from Galicia prepared their ‘Re-Ovolución‘ live, recreating the classic stuffed tuna eggs they both remembered from their mothers’ and grandmothers’ kitchens at home. However, they made a cutting-edge and highly personal version, where rib, heart, and cheek were the selected pieces to create their dish.

The following day brought one of the most anticipated moments of the convention: the awarding of Chef Revelación by Balfegó 2025, where all the chefs gathered once again on the main stage.

The winners were Claudia Merchan and Axel Smyth (Rest.Simpar*. Santiago de Compostela), who took this major award, given by Juan Serrano (CEO of Balfegó), back to Galicia and joined the cast of great chefs who have won the prize.

Second place went to the chef from Madrid Lucía Gutiérrez (Rest. Lur, Madrid). She was presented her prize by Juan Serrano (CEO of Balfegó) and Joan Grau (Commercial and Marketing Director of Balfegó).

Third prize went to Ausiàs Signes & Felicia Guerra (Rest. Ausiàs. Pedreguer, Alicante)

As the grand finale of the convention, the press from across the country gathered at the Balfegó stand to share the first impressions of the winners of the award for Breakout Chef by Balfegó 2025.

We bid farewell to this edition of the world’s largest culinary convention with excitement at its peak, thanking all the chefs and industry professionals for visiting our stand, which once again served as the gathering space for the finest in the industry.