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The IV International Cheese Forum brings together relevant chefs and the best cheese factories in Spain to debate the link between product, territory and tourism
Gran Canaria will smell like the best cheese again. The days 27 y 28 of April, he Santa Catalina Hotel will host the IV International Cheese Forum, an event that consolidates the island as an essential meeting point for restaurant professionals, hospitality and artisanal cheese production.
The program, promoted by the Cabildo through the areas of Primary Sector and Tourism, includes 19 presentations, culinary demonstrations, catas, technical conferences and colloquia focused on the role of cheese in contemporary gastronomy, its impact on the territory and its ability to provide identity to a tourist destination.
What's new in this edition
- Joint presentations by chefs and cheesemakers: for the first time, chefs and producers will share the stage to show the symbiosis between haute cuisine and artisanal production.
- Workshops in the south of the island: The demonstration workshops will be replicated in San Bartolomé de Tirajana, facilitating the assistance of chefs and purchasing managers of the main hotel chains, thanks to the collaboration with the Las Palmas Hospitality School.
- III Competition for the Best Cheese Sandwich in Spain.
A constellation of Michelin Stars
The lineup of speakers brings together chefs whose restaurants add ten Michelin Stars:
| Chef | restaurant | stars |
|---|---|---|
| Toño Pérez | Lobby (Caceres) | ⭐⭐⭐ |
| Luis Baselga and Massi Delledove | Smoked Room (Madrid) | ⭐⭐ |
| Borja Marrero | Muxgo (Gran Canaria) | ⭐ + 🌿 |
| Juan Carlos García | Vandelvira (Jaen) | ⭐ |
| Representatives of Monte (Asturias) | Monte | ⭐ |
next to them, figures like Braulio Simancas (Gomero Whistle), Artur Martínez (Aürt, Barcelona), Aridani Alonso and Victor Lugo (Romantic House, Agaete) o Marco Martel (The Colonial of Fontanales) will complete a program that focuses on generational change, creativity and the contribution of value from commerce and hospitality.
The weight of cheese in the island economy
The president of the Council, Antonio Morales, He stressed that Gran Canaria is “one of the island territories in the world with the greatest diversity of artisanal cheeses” and highlighted the ecosystem service provided by the sector: preservation of endemic flora, native breeds and forest fire prevention.
For your part, the Tourism Minister, Carlos Alamo, encrypted 1,2 million tourists who declare gastronomy among their main travel motivations, with spending in restaurants of 596 million euros in 2025.
The island has more than 80 artisanal mini cheese shops and the largest livestock herd in the archipelago—some 12.000 heads—, that transform raw milk into 2.000 tons of cheese per year. The Cabildo annually allocates 1,4 million euros to the livestock sector and others 2 million to the valorization of the local product.
Open registrations
It is still possible to reserve a place in .
