REGISTRATIONS ARE NOW OPEN FOR THE XXI NATIONAL CHAMPIONSHIP OF PINCHOS AND TAPAS AND THE IX WORLD TAPAS COMPETITION, CITY OF VALLADOLID
This November, Valladolid reaffirms its status as the national and international capital of tapas. The finest gastronomy is presented in small plates designed to win over palates in a single bite. The country’s most important live cooking shows will be held at the Cúpula del Milenio, judged by a distinguished panel of renowned experts.
REGISTRATION AVAILABLE HERE
«By holding this competition in Valladolid, the city is once again positioned as a leading reference for haute cuisine in miniature. It is a three-day event during which national and international gastronomy come together in the city, blending talent and creativity. It is a representation of the culinary diversity and richness of each territory,” says Blanca Jiménez Cuadrillero, Councillor for Tourism, Events and City Brand at the Valladolid City Council.
«We’ve taken part in 19 of the 20 editions held. The contest provides constant motivation throughout the year, and taking part is a matter of pride. We have already won several awards, achieving fourth and second place. The standard of our fellow competitors is high and keeps getting higher, so winning the 2024 edition was pure joy and a dream come true. As a small restaurant competing against participants almost at Michelin-star level, we hope to enjoy the experience of the 2025 World Competition, do a great job, and give it our all once we’re in it,» said Iñigo Tizón of Restaurante Gran Sol (Hondarribia), winner of the 2024 National Contest and finalist in the 2025 World Championship.
“There’s a great atmosphere at the National Contest, and many of the people you meet end up becoming friends. Spain had never won the World Competition and achieving it as someone from Valladolid made it even more challenging. It was an incredibly emotional experience because people were truly invested. It’s one of the most prestigious cooking competitions in the world, and it has genuinely changed our lives. I went from being anonymous to being stopped in the street in Seville, Pamplona or Tenerife. We went from a regular workload to being completely overwhelmed with demand. Tapas have become a symbol of the City of Valladolid, and in our restaurant alone, we’ve sold over 100,000 units in less than two years. The way the finalists team up with the city’s restaurants adds a fun and unique dynamic to the competition. It’s quite common to help them adapt their dish to meet the enormous level of demand in the city,» said Teo Rodríguez of Restaurant Trasto Valladolid, winner of the 2024 World Tapas Competition.
- The event will take place from November 10th to 12th at the Cúpula del Milenio in Valladolid. A jury will be present, and its members will be confirmed soon.
- The rules are now available on the event’s website. Entries for both competitions are open from July 21st, 2025, until September 30th for the National Championship and September 21st for the World Competition.
- For the international competition, 15 international finalists will be selected, joined by the Spanish winner of the previous edition of the National Contest, making a total of 16 participants.
- A total of €30,000 in prize money will be awarded among the top three finalists of both competitions.
- Finalist creations from both competitions will feature on the menus of selected venues across the city during the Tapas Festival, which takes place from the 11th to the 16th of November.
Valladolid, July 21, 2025 – Once again, the Sociedad Mixta para la Promoción del Turismo de Valladolid, S.L., in collaboration with the Provincial Hospitality Association of Valladolid, announces the XXI National Championship of Pinchos and Tapas – City of Valladolid, and the IX International Tapas Competition. The event will take place from November 10th to 12th at the Cúpula del Milenio, on the banks of the Pisuerga River.
The City of Valladolid once again hosts these competitions, now celebrating their 21st and 9th editions, respectively. They have become leading events in Spain’s gastronomic scene and one of the largest annual gatherings of professionals in the industry.
The event aims to position the city as a top gastronomic destination, promote culinary culture, and high-quality tourism.
Competition Details
National Championship
The call is open to active professionals from hospitality establishments throughout the country where tapas and/or pinchos are served. Each participant may submit a personal pincho or tapa, describing its ingredients and preparation in an interactive digital questionnaire. The submitted recipe must not exceed a cost of €1.90 based on the raw materials of the ingredients used.
A jury made up of members of the Valladolid Hospitality Association and the technical organization of the contest will select up to 41 finalists from all entries to participate in the live final. These will be joined by the winners of the four categories of the 2025 Valladolid Provincial Pinchos and Tapas Championship, making a total of 45 finalists. Contestants from Valladolid must still complete their registration with the organization.
Each finalist will have the chance to team up with a local Valladolid business as a sponsor, who will provide the ingredients needed to make their recipe. Details of the establishments, dates and times when the finalists’ tapas will be available to buy at the sponsor establishments at the public price of €3.50 will be provided in the TapasVLL contest app and announced on social media.
The order of participation will be determined by a draw held during the contest presentation on the morning of November 10th. According to this order, in the final stage of the competition, each contestant will enter their individual cooking station every five minutes and will have up to 25 minutes to prepare eight similar tapas: one for each of the seven jury members and one for photographic documentation.
World Competition
Each participant may submit a single, original tapa, with its ingredients and preparation detailed in the official digital form.
In this case, as participants may not be familiar with market prices in Spain, the selection committee may contact them, if necessary, to remind them that the cost of the recipe should not exceed €1.90.
The technical committee will select 16 finalists. Among them will be: the winner of the 2024 Spanish National Pinchos and Tapas Championship, the winner of the 7th Australasia Tapas Competition , the top four participants from the 1st Tapas Competition of Asia, the top three from the 2nd Tapas Competition of the Americas, and the top-ranked participants from the Tapas Competitions of Mexico, Malaysia, and the United Kingdom.These competitions are held in collaboration with the Valladolid Tourism Board, with which formal partnership agreements are in place. The remaining four finalists will be selected from the applications submitted from Africa and Europe.
Each selected candidate will be assigned a support establishment sponsor in Valladolid, with whom they must contact in advance to provide all necessary information for preparing their recipe and where they may carry out any required pre-preparation.
The winning tapas will be available to the public at participating venues in Valladolid, each clearly marked as a World Tapas Competition winner and featuring the name of its creator
Valladolid and tapas:
The word ‘tapa’ originated in 13th-century Spain. Castilian kings at the time needed to prevent dust or insects from falling into their drinks, so they started using slices of bread, cheese or ham to cover their glasses. This practice gained popularity and eventually spread throughout the country, becoming a tradition in Spanish bars and restaurants.
Valladolid is particularly renowned for its strong tradition of serving pinchos and tapas, and this has given rise to local and regional competitions. These competitions have given rise to the annual National Pinchos and Tapas Competition, which is the only official event of its kind in Spain and has been running for 21 years.
The City Council of Valladolid and the Valladolid Hospitality Association are using this new edition to uphold the quality of pinchos and tapas, elevate their professional recognition, and strengthen their national and international reach.
EVERYTHING YOU NEED TO KNOW
November 10th, 11th and 12th
Cúpula del Milenio de Valladolid
#TapasValladolid #TapasVLL2025 #SpainIsTapas
@spainistapas
www.concursonacionaltapas.com
PRESS CONTACT
For interview requests, media coverage, inquiries, or proposals:
Laura Rubio Vicente, departamento de comunicación Sociedad Mixta para la Promoción del turismo de Valladolid – comunicacion@valladolidturismo.com – Tel. 98 321 93 10 Ext. 3475
Jessica Isidro, Mateo&co – jessicai@mateoandco.es – Tel. 627 053 486