Well this came as a pleasant surprise! I have been chosen to be one of the five gastronomy experts to do the final judging for an ambitious new project headed by the Sevilla Tourism Board to promote Sevilla’s Gastronomic Heritage, AKA the tapa, as a tourist attraction.
From today until September 5th, locals and visitors to Sevilla can vote on both their favourite tapa and favourite establishment. The list of tapas on the Visit Sevilla Facebook Page starts with around 18 dishes but voters can also add their choices. After the judging has taken place this will become a list of the top 14 tapas in the city and the best places to try them, which will then be included in a guide book.
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
Is that you hiding at the back Shawn??? You look gorgeous. The only woman there too, what a coup. Well done. x
Thanks. Fiona made me buy make-up. 😉
Congratulations on being chosen as a judge for this. It’s a big honour and well deserved! Also, as per a previous comment, wonderful to have a woman in what is largely a male-dominated industry.
Yes, it’s huge Fiona. For years I’ve been that crazy woman with the tapas blog, but now I’m suddenly that extremely knowledgeable and well-connected woman with the only concise listing of tapas bars and restaurants in Sevilla IN ENGLISH. I think it finally clicked that I’ve possibly done more to promote tapas to vistors than any number of well-intentioned campaigns. Hope this means I’ll get to work more closely with tourism and hospitality here in future. *fingers crossed*
Woo Hoo! Well done Shawn. A fantastic way to show how hard work and determination can get results! Looking forward to hearing about the scrummy tapa ideas too … 🙂
Thanks. It’s all about following your heart, isn’t it?