The mountain cuisine conference will hold a unique edition on 1 and 2 March, at the foot of the slopes, with chefs from the Pyrenees, such as Eli Farrero, Marcos Pedarròs and Mariano Gonzalvo, and a luxurious closing ceremony by the chef from Disfrutar***.
On 1 and 2 March, the Boí Taüll ski resort in Vall de Boí will become a high-altitude gastronomic stage with the eleventh edition of GastroPirineus. With the slopes open and the resort in full swing—with more snow on the slopes than ever before—the event will reaffirm its uniqueness: bringing mountain cuisine to where it originates, in direct contact with the landscape, the produce and the territory.
For two days, snow, stoves and culinary talent will come together at an altitude of 2,035 metres, in an event that consolidates GastroPirineus as the great showcase for Pyrenean gastronomy. Two days of live sessions will allow visitors to discover, with the help of chefs from across the region, the great variety and quality of local products and how high-mountain cuisine is interpreted today.
The event will close with a truly luxurious finale: a session with chef Oriol Castro from Disfrutar***, the best restaurant in the world according to The World’s 50 Best 2024. Under the title ‘The latest techniques from Disfrutar’, Castro will reveal some of the best-kept secrets of the cuisine of the famous restaurant, one of the world leaders in avant-garde cuisine.
GastroPirineus 2026, whose main sponsor is Ferrocarrils de la Generalitat de Catalunya (FGC), together with the Department of Agriculture of the Generalitat, the Provincial Councils of Girona and Lleida, and the Regional Councils of Alt Urgell, Alta Ribagorça and Cerdanya, as well as IDAPA, will allow attendees — admission is free for everyone and can also be followed live on the GastroEvents YouTube channel — to enjoy the aromas of the best local cuisine, while skiers glide down the magical snow-covered mountains of Boí Taüll, creating a vibrant and absolutely innovative atmosphere.
From the pantry of the Pyrenees to the global forefront
The opening day, Sunday 1 March, will kick off with Eli Farrero, from El Ventador (Barruera), who will present ‘The pantry of the Pyrenees: preserving, transforming, creating’. The chef will delve into signature cuisine rooted in the territory, showing how the tradition of preserving and making the most of produce is transformed into contemporary creativity, a way of understanding cuisine that connects memory and technique, and which is sure to thrill viewers.
Next, the cuisine of the Vall de Boí will have its own voice with Míriam Oliva, from the restaurant L’Aüt (Erill la Vall), and her session focused on locally sourced produce. The chef will defend honest cuisine committed to local producers, which she practises daily in her restaurant by preparing dishes such as Ca l’Alguaira organic beef meloso with potato and mushroom parmentier, an example of respect for the product and the rhythm of the region.
The Ramats de Foc project will take to the stage in Boí Taüll with Pere Malagelada (El Càntir) and Jaume Font. This session will provide an insight into sustainable livestock farming and its role in preserving the landscape. Their proposal, which comes from Girona Excel·lent —with dishes such as Ramats de Foc lamb meloso, made in Olot— will demonstrate how cuisine can become a tool for land management.
The session ‘Mountains, landscape and Cadí cheeses’ by Axier Arbilla (Arbeletxe, La Seu d’Urgell) will focus on the importance of dairy products in mountain cuisine, a session that will highlight the role of Cadí cheeses in today’s Pyrenean cuisine.
The day will be rounded off with a stellar performance by master pastry chef Oriol Balaguer. In his session entitled ‘Pastries integrated into the territory,’ he will dazzle attendees with his mastery of chocolate—and of the stage—by preparing a spectacular ‘Vall de Boí snow cake,’ a sweet metaphor for the landscape surrounding the event, demonstrating that pastries can also dialogue with the environment.
Cooking with conscience and identity
On Monday 2 March, GastroPirineus will delve deeper into the reflection on territory and sustainability with Sergi de Meià, who will present the Fundació Coma de Meià project and its rural development model. His proposal, with dishes such as cod coca with truffles and potatoes, is a pure vindication of cuisine linked to the Slow Food philosophy and ecological responsibility.
From the Vall d’Aran, chef Marcos Pedarròs, from the Er Occitan restaurant (Bossòst), will offer a session also focused on the role of cheese as a pillar of Occitan cuisine. Dishes such as Napoleon cheese soup with candied shallots or skate cheeks with cheese whey beurre blanc will showcase the solidity and elegance of a tradition that evolves without losing its identity.
The aromas and flavours of Pallars will be brought to us by chef Mariano Gonzalvo, from the Lo Paller de Coc restaurant (Surp), and his reflection on ‘The difficulty of simplicity’. The chef will present emblematic dishes such as masked potatoes or cod tripe with peas, two simple and honest creations that demonstrate that traditional cuisine, when well executed, remains one of the most succulent and appreciated forms of gastronomy.
GastroPirineus 2026 will also open a window onto the region from the perspective of food and wine tourism with a presentation by Patrick Torrent, executive director of the Catalan Tourism Agency of the Generalitat de Catalunya. In his session, he will present the ‘Grand Tour of Catalonia’ project, a proposal for a journey structured in stages that connects landscape, heritage, products and gastronomy with the aim of positioning Catalonia as an international benchmark for food and wine tourism.
Gastronomy also at the table
GastroPirineus 2026 will also take place outside the main stage. The Country Dinner at the L’Aüt restaurant will bring together different participating chefs (Eli Farrero, Míriam Oliva, Sergi de Meià and Oriol Balaguer) for an evening dedicated to local produce and the landscape, while the Nations Dinner, organised by Boí Taüll and the SCIJ (Ski Club International des Journalistes) and prepared by the El Fai restaurant in Taüll and Farré d’Avall in Barruera, will close the event with an ode to local dishes, confirming the collective and celebratory nature of the event.
The GastroPirineus culinary conference is supported by companies such as Arroz Bayo, Estrella Damm, Cadí, Castey, the Oli Terra Alta PDO and the Rull Group, which help to strengthen the link between produce, the region and gastronomic excellence. Their support consolidates an event that, year after year, becomes a showcase for high mountain cuisine and a platform for promoting the Pyrenees.
More than a decade keeping Pyrenean cuisine alive
Created in 2016 by GastroEvents, GastroPirineus has established itself as the major travelling event for mountain cuisine, with the aim of promoting the produce and gastronomic talent of the Pyrenees. Over the last decade, the event has travelled through various Pyrenean regions and has featured some of the most prominent names in Catalan gastronomy, such as Joan Roca, Carme Ruscalleda and Fina Puigdevall, among many others, becoming a showcase for high mountain cuisine.
Source: ACEVEDO COM