As in previous years, the Madrid Fusión team has travelled the country in search of new talent in Spanish cuisine. This meticulous gastronomic search focuses on promising young chefs whose technical skills, passion for their craft, and ability to interpret the future of gastronomy make them emerging figures with enormous potential.

These professionals embody the human heritage that sustains contemporary Spanish cuisine, widely regarded as one of the most influential in the world today. Although the overall standard is high, only one of these chefs will be added to the list of 23 previous winners.
Created in 2003, this highly coveted distinction on the national culinary scene has served to promote figures who are now absolute references in our gastronomy. Previous winners include Dabiz Muñoz, Ricard Camarena, Rodrigo de la Calle, Javi Estévez, Javier Sanz, Juan Sahuquillo and Pedro Aguilera. All of these chefs currently hold Michelin stars and are responsible for some of the most influential projects in Spanish cuisine.

The candidates for Revelation Chef in the next edition of Madrid Fusión Alimentos de España are:

Javier Ochoa and Garikoitz Arruabarrena
Masta Taberna (Zarautz, Guipúzcoa).

Javier Ochoa and Garikoitz Arruabarrena cook without haste, remaining faithful to their guiding principle of 'just cooking', a motto that encapsulates their approach to work. They can be found at Masta Taberna, a traditional restaurant where they conceal their extensive expertise. Their hands produce succulent, simply dressed recipes with the soul of haute cuisine. These are dishes based on sofritos, reduced stocks and slow cooking. Their concise menu, which evolves daily, comprises only eight savoury specialities and two desserts. All are served in generous portions. The dishes are designed to be shared, in keeping with the informal atmosphere. There is much more to them than meets the eye.

Kiko Rocher and Loli Sambal 
Terra (Cullera, Valencia).

The young chefs' cuisine and desserts are a breath of fresh air in the 'terreta' area. Their traditional dishes are based on two concepts: extreme product quality and precise cooking times. The recipes reflect the region and include family dishes that both the chef and pastry chef interpret in a modern way. “We are inspired by the flavours of our surroundings, and by the memory and style of my father's cooking. He is the owner of Casa Rocher, a historic paella restaurant in the Valencian lagoon,” says Kiko. It is a place dominated by simplicity that interprets traditional cuisine from a different perspective.  

Mauro Rivas, Armando Vidal and Clara Campoamor
Sol Post (Formentera)

Throughout their intense careers, chefs Mauro Rivas and Armando Vidal have continued to evolve. They cook for 12–14 diners in a small restaurant on the ground floor of the Sol Post hotel in Formentera. Their single menu reveals their sensitivity and technical knowledge, from appetisers to desserts. Their modern Mediterranean cuisine, which uses seasonal produce, takes you on a culinary journey through the island's landscapes. It is a combination of dishes that showcase local produce and revive local traditions. Everything is prepared with great skill and aesthetic sense. Clara Campoamor, the head pastry chef, provides the sweet touch, interpreting nature in a sweet way.

Alejandro Ibáñez
Bodega Barahonda (Yecla, Murcia)

Chef Alejandro Ibáñez is a hidden gem of the profession, and with good reason. He works in the restaurant at the Barahonda winery, which has a dining room with panoramic views of the vineyards. This is an enclave that combines oenology, cuisine and tourism in equal measure. Drawing inspiration from the orchards and mountains of the Murcian highlands, this young professional creates seasonal dishes with a Mediterranean flair. His recipes reflect his sensitivity and extensive knowledge, honed during his training in various restaurants. His modern, imaginative cuisine is full of technical details, where food and wine are on an equal footing.

Iñaki Gómez and Lola Palacio
Alenda (Asturias)

Iñaki and Lola are at their best. Iñaki has improved remarkably over the last year, surprising us with unprecedented harmonies and creative proposals. Lola goes out of her way to serve twelve diners, while Iñaki creates local dishes that reflect the surrounding landscape of sea and mountains. It is a gastronomic snapshot of Asturias, offering a unique interpretation of the ingredients. All of this is backed by their vegetable garden, which provides them with seasonal produce such as Príncipe Alberto tear peas. The carefully prepared desserts exceed expectations.  

Borja Piñeiro and Elia Pereira: 
Restaurante Lado (Muiños, Ourense)

Borja Piñeiro and Elia Pereira left their restaurant in Lugo city to settle in the rural retreat of Casa as Fontes in Muiños, a remote village in Ourense. It is a remote area with few inhabitants, where nature offers nothing but the vegetables from the occasional vegetable garden. “We bring everything in from outside,” says Piñeiro. “Seur Frío is our daily supplier.” Despite these limitations, and with the support of their family, they serve a single menu every day in a dining room with four tables for 12 diners. It is modern cuisine, full of thought and enthusiasm, which draws on Galician traditions from a contemporary perspective. 

Rubén Suárez and Aarón Berenguer
Orma (Alicante)

These young chefs cook with remarkable ease. Their dishes showcase flavours from the coast and the Vega Baja region of Alicante, with appealing seasonal details. They offer two tasting menus that showcase their skill in making the most of ingredients and their ability to transform tradition into modernity. The chefs and stylists breathe new life into tradition with a naturalness that is thrilling. With the help of sommelier and maître d' Marta Alfaro, they run Orma, a minimalist restaurant with a small number of tables that has quickly become popular since opening. 

José María Borrás
Aquiara in Morvedra Nou (Menorca)

José María Borrás is a magnificent chef: restless, daring, and with remarkable technical skills. He creates most of his dishes in collaboration with his head chef, Jonás García, and with the help of small local producers. What defines his cuisine above all else is his deep connection to the flavours of Menorca and to each ingredient that arrives in his kitchen. He then presents these ingredients to his customers, noting their origin and the names of the producers. The dishes are aesthetically remarkable and are mostly sourced from the coast and the Menorcan countryside in which the restaurant is located. It is a project as promising as it is exciting.

Marc Pérez and Tània Doblas
La Sosenga (Barcelona) 

In their tiny restaurant in Barcelona's Gothic Quarter, Marc Pérez and Tània Doblas redefine the meaning of the word 'cuisine'. And with good reason. At a time when ingredient costs are rising everywhere, they manage to offer a nine-course menu of the day, including starters and desserts, for €35. The menu features small bites, tapas and half portions, with recipes that draw on ancient medieval cookbooks to revive traditional concepts and sauces. Recipes that pulse with the rhythm of stir-fries and stews, evoking family memories and the tradition of making the most of ingredients. They also use modern techniques to transform humble ingredients into the kind of food you would expect to find in a genuine urban bistro. This semi-hidden place is well worth discovering.