Well this came as a pleasant surprise! The other day I found out that I had been chosen to be one of the five gastronomy experts to take part in the final judging for an ambitious new project headed by the Sevilla Tourism Board, which is promoting Sevilla’s Gastronomic Heritage, AKA the tapa, as a tourist attraction.

The idea is that locals and visitors to Sevilla can vote for both their favourite tapa and favourite establishment and then on September 5th us judges will step in and create a concise list of the top 14 tapas in Sevilla and the best places to try them. To start things off around 18 dishes have been listed on the  Visit Sevilla Facebook Page but voters can also add their choices.

The other expert judges chosen are:

• Julio Fernández, chef of Sevilla’s only Michelin star restaurant Abantal
• Fernando Huidobro, president of the Acacademy of Gastronomy and Tourism
• Javier Compass, culinary and tourism specialist
  
• Paco Sanchez, hospitality professional and former owner of the Cervecería Giralda and Bar Estrella

So as you can see I am in excellent company. And as you can also see in the photo below taken at this morning’s presentation at City Hall (photo courtesy of Raúl Doblado ABC Sevilla) I’m not only the only non-Spaniard, but also the only woman. One step at a time…

Sevilla’s Gastronomic Heritage