With the collaboration of the Majorca Sobrassada Regulatory Council and the boards for the designations of origin, Queso Mahón-Menorca (Minorcan cheese) and Pla i Llevant (Majorcan wines), four highly regarded chefs provided tasters at the Spanish restaurant Ibérica Canary Wharf. These were: Juan Porcel of the Restaurante Oliu in Andratx and the ambassador for sobrassada; Elisabeth Julienne, the ambassador chef for the Minorcan cheese; and Spanish chefs Nacho Manzano (three Michelin stars) and César García, both from Ibérica Restaurants.
The team of chefs prepared tapas with Balearic products, such as sobrassada and cheese from Mahon, all washed down with Pla i Llevant wines. Barceló said that “the commitment to local products fits perfectly with the new model of tourism that this government wishes to implement.” It is a model that has benefits for everyone: visitors, because they can enjoy quality food from the islands, and producers who can widen their sales to restaurants and hotels. Furthermore, visitors will be able to take these products home with them or be able to buy them in their own country and so relive gastronomic experiences they have had while on holiday in the Balearics.
While there is a good deal of emphasis being placed on gastronomy by the Balearic tourism authorities, Catalonia is doing likewise. Indeed, Catalonia is doing more. At the fair in London, the director of the Catalan Tourism Agency, Xavier Espasa, announced that that 2016 will be Catalonia’s year of gastronomy and wine tourism. And to promote this, three Michelin-starred chefs from the Costa Brava have been on hand to offer dinner to representatives of UK tour operators.
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The quality of restaurants in the Island are with a few exceptions not very good. The good examples like a the 3 star restaurant mentioned, Santi Taura etc are out of reach for most visitors. If you like rustic local food there are some places but they are not aimed for the tourist market and not even in the restaurant guides. If you go to France you can get a gastronomic experience in every street corner in every town or village for normal lunch money. Mallorca produces some quality agricultural products but that is not the same as being able to serve them.
Promoting gastronomy needs to be delivered with efforts to get restaurants in Majorca to offer a online booking option. Turning up to a recommended restaurant in the peak season to be turned away from a full restaurant is disappointing. TripAdvisor is the preferred tool for the visiting tourist on their mobile devices and the online booking button is absent from the majority of listed restaurants in Majorca. In order for Majorca to be the destination of choice it needs to work back from the customer not the other way around