The 4th edition of Protur Chef happens next weekend in Mallorca. It’s not only a national culinary competition for cookery school students but also a long weekend celebrating gastronomy, with plenty for locals and visitors to Mallorca to enjoy. It’s free to attend, although there is a small fee for workshops (tallers) and the tastings (catas), which need to be booked in advance.**

Protur Chef was first held in 2017 and successfully repeated in 2018 and 2019. The pandemic put the brakes temporarily on this event but it’s back with an enhanced programme for 2022. As before, the venue for the weekend is the 5-star Protur Biomar Gran Hotel & Spa in Sa Coma.

The Culinary Contest at Protur Chef

Some 300 culinary students went through the selection process for this year’s Protur Chef. Eighteen finalists, representing 15 cookery schools from 13 cities across Spain, will be at the stoves on the professional stage, cooking and presenting their dishes to the judging panel. Eight of these students are from the Balearics. Cameras capture the action which is shown on giant screens for the audience.

Protur Chef Kids

The weekend also includes a competition for budding junior chefs, and I’ve loved seeing how enthusiastic and creative these children can be. The weekend also has children’s workshops for decorating tartlets, making wraps, and the popular Spanish cake decorated with sweets (tarta de chuches).

Other Events for Foodies

The Protur Chef weekend also offers workshops, tastings, show cookings, conferences, some special paired dinners, and a very tempting Gastronomic Market of Balearic products on Saturday (10-20h) and Sunday (10-16h).

Show cookings include chefs Marta Rosselló of Sal de Cocó (Forgotten Fish – Saturday 11h); William Tétard of Ses Rotges (The Art of Moulding Chocolate – Saturday 17h); and Tomeu Martí of the excellent Arume restaurant in Palma (Fusing Japan with Mallorca – Sunday 12:30h)

New for Protur Chef 2022

Two well-known chefs are behind Protur Chef: Tomeu Caldentey (whose restaurant Tomeu Caldentey Cuiner is also in Sa Coma) and Koldo Royo, who is an entertaining master of ceremonies. This year they’ve added new elements including the Cullerot Daurat (Golden Spoon) awards (presentation on Friday at 19:30h), and Protur Chef Celebrities, in which eight celebrities will have their knowledge of cooking put to the test. During this event there’ll be a charity draw with many prizes, for the benefit of the Aproscom Foundation in Manacor.

Find Out More

**Check out the full programme for Protur Chef 2022 here. Next weekend’s event promises to be a good reason to visit Sa Coma in Mallorca. A highly recommended weekend for foodies.

For more information about food, drink, and hotels in Mallorca, follow eatdrinksleepmallorca on Facebook.

©Jan Edwards 2022