Third prize for best palm cover 2018
From Villa de Mazo, the La Salemera Beach Kiosk for its blue fish marinade, a tower formed from a palmero avocado tartare and a crust of seed bread in which two pieces of blue fish stood out, one enriched with dark chocolate and the other with an orange mayonnaise, was the one chosen by the jury as the winner of the Third Prize for the palm tree cover.
Professionals from the 25 establishments attached to the Route attended the closing ceremony with their tapas with which the organization prepared an exhibition that served as a welcome to all attendees.
During the event, in addition to the awards to the winning establishments of the sixth edition of the Route, the representatives of the organization presented the vouchers corresponding to the prizes for accommodation for two people in hotel establishments, vouchers for cultural activities, leisure, sports and free time, direct discounts on purchases and travel or accommodation, baskets of artisanal and agri-food products, lots of cheeses and wines, kitchen appliances, a tablet or dinners in the establishments that have won the palm tree cover awards and the free lid.
The VII Route of Crosses and Tapas is a gastronomic initiative launched by the Delegation of the Chamber of Commerce in La Palma with the collaboration of the four town councils of the region, business associations and the support of the Island Council of La Palma.
Institutional valuations
The closing ceremony was attended by the president of the Delegation of the Chamber of Commerce in La Palma, Mauro Fernández Felipe, the Minister of Agriculture, Livestock and Fisheries of the Cabildo de La Palma, José Basilio Pérez Rodríguez, the mayors of Santa Cruz de La Palma, Breña Alta and Villa de Mazo, Sergio Matos Castro, Jonathan de Felipe Lorenzo and José María Pestana Hernández, the Deputy Mayors of Breña Alta and Breña Baja, Daniel Rodríguez Camacho and Juan Manuel Pérez Álvarez, the president of the Businessmen Association of the Casco Histórico and PymesBalta, Nicolás Hernández Gómez, the representatives of PymesBalta and the Breña Baja Entrepreneurs Association, José Abian Concepción Pérez and Galo Herrera and the insular coordinator of the Chamber of Commerce, Raquel Díaz, who acted as master of ceremonies for the act. All of them thanked the riders, the sponsors, participating establishments and the jury for their collaboration.
Sergio Matos He advocated continuing to consolidate a Route that, like Cruces y Tapas, “has shown that gastronomy is culture and that in these seven years it has become an important claim for economic development, leisure and revitalization in the eastern region.”.
“When we talk about gofio, wines, cheese, bienmesabes, goat meat or rabbit on this island – highlighted the mayor of the capital – we talk about our culture, our customs, our most characteristic flavors.”
He added that “in turn, the improvement detected between the first editions and the current ones in the presentation of the tapas and the combination of ingredients and recipes of the tapas with which the establishments participate in the Route, shows the desire of the people to improve. and give our best image ”.
A Route that for Sergio Matos “has come to stay, giving a clear example of the possibilities of gastronomy”, which is why he encouraged the Chamber of Commerce to continue working on the project of promoting an Island Route in which the participating establishments share the commitment to quality that La Palma and the palm trees deserve because, with this, we will make our Island known beyond the beauty and richness of its landscapes, which is undoubtedly extraordinary, as much or more than its gastronomy ”.
For its part, Basilio Pérez, highlighted the ability of the Route as a gastronomic resource to value the varied and exquisite products that are part of the palm kitchen, for which he thanked all entities and, especially the Chamber of Commerce, for having promoted this initiative seven years ago.
For the counselor, “the Route has a great potential for dynamism in the areas where it is developed and contributes to promoting the hotel and restaurant establishments of our Island and which, as the best letter of presentation, must be accompanied by a continuous commitment to quality and the good service that must be perpetuated beyond the dates of the routes ”.
This strategy, as he explained, is in line with the policies developed by the Agriculture area of the Island Council, among which he highlighted the implementation of programs that link the hospitality sector with agricultural, livestock and fishing productions, the promotion of the consumption of agricultural products. indigenous and with quality labels and, especially ecological ones, the recovery of livestock activity as a strategic source of diversification and internal supply, close collaboration with the existing regulatory councils on the Island and the promotion of actions to encourage local consumption of seafood.
“By consuming products from our island – the counselor recalled – we not only help local companies, but we also contribute to the island’s socio-economic development because each euro invested in the area reverts to the local environment, in turn generating new businesses and jobs , fosters the community spirit and a feeling of belonging that links consumers with farmers, ranchers, fishermen and producers in general and facilitates that the products that are brought to the table are fresh and of the highest quality ”.
Finally, Basilio Pérez called for reflection and self-criticism as a strategy to evolve that allows us to make a qualitative leap in the face of future editions so that the Route is better and better.
A witness who collected Mauro Fernández. who highlighted the commitment that the Chamber of Commerce has been making “since ancient times to raise awareness among consumers, establishments, producers and institutions of the importance of knowing in the first instance, defending and promoting the cuisine and flavors of La Palma among residents and visitors , all this based on a consensual and differentiating work strategy ”.
A challenge that, for the president of the Delegation of the Chamber of Commerce, constitutes a long-distance race, in which “we must all join and join forces to improve quality and advance, from the primary sector to the other social and economic areas, betting on ecological and healthy products through a collective and effective defense of what is ours and that we have to finish defining and working in the present to promote the future development that we all want ”.
Likewise, the Chamber announced that in 2019 the Route “se reinventará”providing novelties agreed between the different entities that are part of the organization, such as the ones that the routers and the establishments are making arrive to, together, consolidate it as a gastronomic bet capable of reaping as many or more successes than those generated so far.
Technical evaluations
Representing the jury, which in this edition was made up of the chefs Marcelo Ameyugo Bueno and Pedro Hernández Pulido, as well as the representative and teacher of the Department of Hospitality of the IES Virgen de las Nieves, Amara Méndez Pérez, who acted as spokesperson and thanked to the attendees the involvement shown and the commitment they make to enhance the palm tree kitchen, applying advanced cooking techniques and which, as he stated, “have literally made it very difficult for the jury in this edition”.
The consultants who, during the weeks prior to the start of the Route, have visited the participating establishments in order to improve the quantitative and qualitative aspects of the tapas that, during the Route, they were going to present in competition, also took the stage. A task that undoubtedly allowed correcting some questions related to plating or combination of ingredients.
During their speech, Aridane Rivero and Ricardo Santana thanked the establishments for the good harmony with which they opened the doors of each kitchen and the demonstrated desire to improve. In addition, they invited the establishments to maintain the bet from start to finish, without incorporating substantial variations to the covers, to respect the previous image that is offered to customers and the information related to allergens, among other aspects.
The gastronomic advisers also had words for the institutions present, which they encouraged to reinforce the training programs at the service of companies in the hotel and restaurant sector throughout the year, assuming a determined commitment to the continuous improvement of the quality.
