Top chefs and food critics gather to judge 21st National Tapas Championship and 9th World Tapas Competition in Valladolid

More than 20 chefs, food critics and culinary experts from across the globe will convene in Valladolid, Spain, from 10^th to 12^th November for the 21^st National Tapas Championship and the 9^th World Tapas Competition. The event, taking place at the Cúpula del Milenio, will feature a jury chaired by prominent figures in the gastronomic world, including three-Michelin-starred chef Paco Morales and Pichaya “Pam” Soontornyanakij, who was recently named World’s Best Female Chef 2025.

The event, held annually in Valladolid, has become a significant fixture in the international culinary calendar, highlighting creativity and innovation within the world of tapas. The competitions will bring together a diverse panel of over 20 professionals, including Michelin-starred chefs, journalists, broadcasters and representatives from the food and hospitality sectors.

For the National Tapas Championship, participants from hospitality establishments throughout Spain will present a personal pincho or tapa, describing its ingredients and preparation in an interactive digital form. The recipe submitted must not exceed a cost of €1.90, based on the value of the raw ingredients used in its preparation. The jury for this section will be led by Morales, whose restaurant, Noor in Córdoba, has earned three Michelin stars and three Repsol Suns. He will be joined by Carolina Sánchez (Ikaro), Iñaki Bretal (O Eirado da Leña) and Íñigo Lavado (Itzuli). An alternate jury for the national contest will also participate in the evaluation process, calling on the expertise of members including food journalist Jonatan Armengol, Ruth Alejandre of Minor Hotels, actor Raúl Fernández de Pablo, La 2 presenter Adrienne Chaballe, and José Manuel Bajo, Secretary General of the DO Baena. Others include chef Diego Murciego (of Desde 1911), Telecinco presenter Cristina LasVignes, journalist Víctor Martín Feliú and food critic Carlos Maribona.

The international competition showcases a single, original tapa from each competitor, with its ingredients and preparation detailed and its cost also not exceeding €1.90. Finalists have been selected from the organisation’s competitions in the Americas, Asia, the United Kingdom, Mexico, Malaysia and Oceania, along with two from Europe and one from Africa. The judging will be overseen by the much celebrated Soontornyanakij, head chef at Bangkok’s Potong restaurant. She will be joined on the jury by Morales, as well as Rafael Ansón, president of the Ibero-American Academy of Gastronomy, Gloria Lucía Martín (El Empalme), journalist Iván Martínez Cubells, and José Gordón of El Capricho (holder of Repsol Suns). Additional jurors include Carlos Casillas (Barro), Begoña Vázquez (Regueiro da Cova), César García (Melvalco Fine Foods) and Rafael Pico, a board member of the Spanish Olive Oil Interprofessional.

Food Desk

The 21^st National Tapas Championship and the 9^th World Tapas Competition take place from 10th until 12th November at Cúpula del Milenio, Valladolid. For further information, visit here.