San Sebastian Gastronomika is the doyen of the great gastronomy congresses in the world. Since 1999, it has brought together the best chefs from five continents to present the new culinary trends emerging around in the world, promote gastronomic knowledge, and discover processes of change in haute cuisine.

The 23rd edition of San Sebastian Gastronomika Euskadi Basque Country 2021 took place in November and, this time around, it focused its gaze on France. The congress was organised by Vocento Gastronomía — the gastronomy division of the Spain’s leading multimedia communications company Grupo Vocento — and the daily newspaper, El Diario Vasco.

The event brought the great geniuses of French cuisine to the stage of the Kursaal Palace in San Sebastian, with Alan Ducasse, the chef with the most Michelin stars in the world, at the head. The congress proposed to open a new dialogue between French and Spanish cuisine under the title “Reencuentros” (New Encounters).

It was a year that meant a reunion with the congress participants and exhibitors, as well as the reunion of two of the world’s great cuisines. It was a congress that rediscovered the French culinary reality and created a new era for Spanish cuisine. The most transformative concepts, the new chefs that are emerging, and the great figures from both sides of the border were present in San Sebastian for four days together with important chefs from all over the world.

Vocento Gastronomía holds a leading position in the sector, thanks to its influence and dominance in the field of major international congresses. It owns and manages the most important and influential gastronomy congress in the world, San Sebastian Gastronomika Euskadi Basque Country and Bogotá Madrid Fusión.

It also develops other specialised vertical projects, such as:

• Encuentro de los Mares, a multidisciplinary event focused on the defense of the oceans and sustainability that brings together the scientific community, the fishing sector, and cuisine.
• O Terrae, an international meeting of rural gastronomy, is aimed at producers, restaurateurs, chefs, and agents in the food distribution chain.
• FéminAs, a congress dedicated to women, gastronomy, and the rural environment.
• Worldcanic, the first International Congress of Volcanic Kitchens and Ecosystems, which is being held in Lanzarote with the presence of the best volcanologists in the world and chefs from different volcanic territories in Europe, Asia, Africa, and America.

The enthusiastic turnout for San Sebastian Gastronomika 2021 was a significant indicator of its popularity and success. By the end of the four-day event, it boasted the following numbers:

• 12,061 people accredited.
• 1,479 congress participants.
• 38 nationalities.
• 150 exhibitors.
• 354 accredited journalists.
• 534 people working on organising the congress.

The next edition is expected to be held in November 2022.

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