The awards will be presented on Friday 21 February at the Gala del Cocido to be held at the Lalín Arena and broadcast by TVG.
The mayor of Lalín, José Crespo, chaired today the meeting of the jury of the XXXI edition of the Galician Gastronomy Awards.
The jury was made up of:
D. Avelino Souto Rozados - Councillor of Tourism of Lalín.
Mr. José Paz Gestoso, director of the Centro Superior de Hostelería de Galicia (CSHG).
María Varela Mosquera, (La Parada de las Bestias) representing the NOVE Group.
Francisco Gómez González (La Feria Pulperías) representing Amigos de la Cocina Gallega as vice-president.
José Martínez Vidal (Restaurante Parrulo) from the Rías Altas Gastronomic Club.
José Luis Iglesias González (Rest. Cabanas) - Member of Eurotoques, Xantares, Lareira and Amigos da Cocina Galega.
Alberto González (Casa Currás), representing the Local Catering Committee.
César López Arribas, general secretary of the City Council, who acted as secretary of the jury.
The jury decided to award the following prizes, all unanimously: Firstly, the ‘Pepe Solla’ prize for a lifetime's work in gastronomy went to José Antonio Pérez Rodríguez ‘Pepe Callos’, from Bar Fuentefría in Ourense for his work over half a century in the hotel and catering trade and for the preparation of smoked fish, among other delicacies, for his restaurant. In the ‘Professional who had distinguished himself the most in the promotion of Galician Cuisine’ section, Áxel Smyth from Simpar Restaurant (Michelin star) in Santiago de Compostela won the award for his good work in the dissemination of Galician gastronomy and its products. Today it is the most awarded restaurant in the Spanish hotel and catering industry.
ENTITY FOR THE PROMOTION OF GALICIAN GASTRONOMY
The jury distinguished in the ‘Prize for the company or entity that has contributed most to the promotion of Galician gastronomy and Galician gastronomic products’ the Regulatory Council of the Protected Designation of Origin Arzúa-Ulloa for its consolidated tradition in the defence of one of the most unique products of the interior of Galicia.
The jury also awarded the ‘Small Galician Producer Award’ to the company CienPorCel, Celtic pork food industry (Osmo-Cenlle), a workshop that traditionally produces its sausages following the ancient techniques of salting, curing and smoking with oak wood, marketing a very high quality product.
AWARD FOR THE WINERY OR WINE-MAKING COMPANY
Finally, in the ‘Adega o empresa vitivinícola’ award, the prize went to Bodegas Gerardo Méndez-Do Ferreiro (Meaño-Pontevedra) for its work with wines that give their name to the winery itself.
The Galician Gastronomy Awards will be presented together with the Álvaro Cunqueiro Award for Gastronomic Journalism at the Gala del Cocido on Friday 21 February, which will be held at the Lalín Arena and broadcast by TVG.
Translated with DeepL.com (free version)
