Apehl will compete next week in the 4th Official Spanish Hospitality Championship – Tapas and Pinchos with chef José Luis Pardo from restaurant El Boni
• 34 associations from across the country will compete for the title of Best Tapas/Pincho in Spain at the contest, which will take place at Madrid Fusión on January 26 and 27.
23.01.2026. The Provincial Association of Hospitality and Tourism Entrepreneurs of Lugo (Apehl) will be represented at the 4th Official Spanish Hospitality Championship – Tapas and Pinchos, organized by Hostelería de España, by chef José Luis Pardo from restaurant El Boni, who won first prize from the technical jury in the final of the latest edition of the Lugo Tapas Competition.
With the sponsorship of the Lugo City Council, the Lugo Provincial Council, the Xunta de Galicia, Cafés Candelas, Estrella Galicia, Aceite de Quiroga, Pemento de Mougán, 2.i, Merluza de Burela and Transportes Valín, the province of Lugo will defend its entry in this championship, which will take place as part of the International Gastronomy Congress Madrid Fusión, to be held next week in the Spanish capital. The event brings together the different championships around the country to foster professionalism within the sector and highlight the tapa as an essential element of Spanish gastronomy.
For the 4th Official Spanish Hospitality Championship – Tapas and Pinchos, chef José Luis Pardo—who in the previous edition managed to place the province in second position—will present the proposal “Ostra, qué merluza de Burela”, a trompe-l’oeil “false oyster” made with a squid-ink cracker, filled with a “gilda gazpacho” prepared with Quiroga olive oil, hook-caught Burela hake cooked at low temperature and trout roe, and finally topped with a carabinero prawn foam.
The competition will be held on January 26 and 27, with 34 chefs taking part, representing provincial hospitality associations and federations, all vying to win the award for Best Tapas/Pincho.
This championship is the final stage of a series of affiliated tapas and pinchos contests held by the associations that make up Hostelería de España, such as the 20th Lugo Tapas Competition organized by the Provincial Association of Hospitality and Tourism Entrepreneurs of Lugo (Apehl).