At the presentation of the 26th edition of San Sebastian Gastronomika - Euskadi Basque Country, the authorities, the technical committee, various representatives of the gastronomy scene in Gipuzkoa and other chefs from the region have shown their support for the new era that the congress is ushering in.

Eneko Goia and the World Gastronomy Capital

The Mayor of San Sebastian, Eneko Goia, has stressed the importance of a congress that he considers to be 'one of the great events of the year in the city'. An event that 'makes the city the world capital of gastronomy for a few days, if it is not the world capital of gastronomy every day of the year'. The mayor was particularly pleased with the theme of this year's event, 'Open City - Hiri Irekia', because, he said, 'Donostia is a city open to the world and we want it to remain so, and gastronomy is an ally in this'.

Azahara Domínguez: "Without losing who we are"

Azahara Domínguez, Councillor for Mobility, Tourism and Town and Country Planning in the Provincial Council of Gipuzkoa, celebrates the strength of a congress that "has turned Gipuzkoa into a meeting point for professionals and gastronomy lovers.

A showcase for the most revolutionary avant-garde'. After 25 years, 'we all meet again to continue making our region a world reference in gastronomy'.

The deputy also wanted to highlight the slogan because she believes that "the openness we have experienced in Gipuzkoa over the last few decades has allowed us to grow and develop as a society and also in gastronomy".

She believes that Gipuzkoa has "taken advantage of outside influences to adapt them to our culture, without losing a single iota of what we are".

Domínguez is convinced that "everything happens for a reason" and that "it's not surprising that the best gastronomy congress in the world is held in Gipuzkoa". Because here gastronomy 'is part of our culture, our way of understanding life and our heritage'. For this reason, "we want to continue to be a destination for talent and we will continue to work with you".

Finally, the MEP wanted to highlight the work of women: "The role of women must become more and more important because we are all aware that while home kitchens are feminine, the kitchens of great restaurants are very masculine". For this reason, "we want to encourage and support the presence of women in large kitchens and have their work recognised and appreciated. We have made great strides in this direction, but we must continue to make progress.

Benjamín Lana: 'An open city'

Benjamín Lana is the new director of San Sebastian Gastronomika - Euskadi Basque Country, taking over from Roser Torras. He explained that "being here today is very special for me" and explained how they came to the conclusion that "Open City - Hiri Irekia" should be the slogan for this edition of the congress: "After 25 years, it was time to think: what now? Looking to the future, the first image that came to mind was to claim San Sebastian as an open city". Lana recalled a poem he had read in his youth by Gabriel Celaya that spoke of San Sebastian 'breaking the crust of the past' after the demolition of the walls. The congress also wants to break the crust and go beyond the Kursaal.

At the same time, the director understood that after the Silver Jubilee it was time to reform the Technical Committee: "We needed a new crew that was aware of what was going on in the world. The reality was different 25 years ago and we have to be prepared to change.That is why they have set up a committee of founders, with figures such as Hilario Arbelaitz, Pedro Subijana and Juan Mari Arzak, and they have created a new group 'that will pull the trawler from now on'.

Lana concluded by saying that the congress will have 'a guest country, which is Portugal, and it is coming in a big way. We are going to have eight Portuguese chefs", and in one of these activities, as part of the idea of opening up the congress to the city, two Portuguese chefs will be cooking in Gaztelubide.

Andoni Luis Aduriz: 'A privileged place'

Andoni Luis Aduriz will continue to be a member of the Technical Committee, and in his appearance he confessed that in the first meeting of the new members, "one of the ideas that has been floated the most is that the city has a great attraction for the congress, to go beyond the auditorium. We are in a privileged and comfortable place to ensure that people have great memories'.

Elena Arzak and the desire for renewal

Elena Arzak will also be part of the new Technical Committee. She has "grown up with the Congress" and emphasises the "desire to renew, to innovate and to change. We have a formula that works, but the future lies in not resting on our laurels," she said.

Amaia Barredo: 'Quality local production'

The last speaker was Amaia Barredo, the Basque Government's Minister for Food, Rural Development, Agriculture and Fisheries. She wanted to emphasise the responsibility of the Technical Committee of the Congress and "from the administration we give it some tasks". For her, "supporting local quality production" is crucial, because "differentiated production has created a name and international recognition in gastronomy". She added that "we are all aware of the strength that food and agricultural production is gaining".

As a challenge for the future, he highlighted 'self-sufficiency, because the planet is sending out SOS' and a commitment to 'healthy and sustainable principles', for which 'agricultural education must be more recognised by society, otherwise it will be difficult'.

Finally, he stated that "we are a small country, so self-sufficiency must come from a larger geographical framework such as Europe, and this framework tells us to work towards a healthier and fairer product for those who produce it".