There are places you visit. And there are places you taste. Girona, for me, is exactly that: a territory that is better understood when savored slowly. After ten years living abroad and having experienced very diverse cultures and cuisines, returning here has made me rediscover something that had always been present but perhaps I hadn't looked at closely enough: the gastronomic strength of our home.
There are events that fill convention centers. And there are those that fill conversations, ideas, and ways of looking at the sector. Spaces with great chefs, international brands, and trends that change every season. But what happens in Girona has a different energy. It's not just a showcase. It's a community. The Gastronomic Forum is not just a meeting point for restaurant professionals, producers, and distributors. It's a space where the territory finds its voice. Where the small producer shares the stage with big names. Where innovation doesn't forget its origins. And this, at a time when everything seems globalized and homogeneous, is deeply valuable.
One of the things I like most about the Forum is that local produce is not secondary. It is central. When you walk through the stands, you don't just see brands; you see stories. You see family projects, young entrepreneurs, cooperatives, organic producers who defend native varieties and ways of doing things that respect time and land. Experiencing the Forum from within has a special meaning. It's not just a commercial opportunity. It's a space for conversation. To look into each other's eyes, to explain the why of what we do, to listen to what the sector needs. I have learned that these spaces are not so much for "selling" as for building relationships. Exactly what I try to do every day.
This connects very much with my way of understanding projects: growing without losing the essence. Evolving without disconnecting from the territory. If one thing defines the Forum, it is the people. Chefs who share failures as well as successes. Producers who honestly explain difficulties. Distributors who seek quality over volume. Impromptu conversations that end in real collaborations. Because gastronomy is not just technique. It is relationship. It is trust. It is a shared project. And perhaps that is what excites me most: seeing how Girona not only has great gastronomy, but a very clear way of understanding it.
And to be part of this conversation, from my place, is a privilege.
