Varadero Gourmet 2025 began a day after the national collapse of the SEN, when thousands of Cubans remained without electrical service.
Miami, United States. – The XV Varadero Gourmet International Festival started Thursday at the Plaza América Convention Center, in Matanzas, in parallel to the progressive restoration of the National Electrical System (SEN) after a general blackout started on the previous Wednesday.
Under the motto “Flavors without borders. The magic of the kitchen fusion with Cuban soul”, the appointment will run until September 13 with presentations, competences and spaces for exchange between entrepreneurs and professionals in the sector. The agenda includes, as a novelty, the I International Franchise Workshop, according to The Cuban News Agency report (ACN).
At the inauguration, Vice Minister of Tourism Adalberto Venero Lemus said that it is an event whose claim is to internationalize the country’s culinary traditions and stressed that “it is the native experiences that international tourism demands”, according to The magazine report Cuba sunpublication of the Ministry of Tourism (Mintur) of the island.
The president of the Organizing Committee and Director of Palmares, Lázaro Darién Casabella Hernández, detailed the breadth of the program: “During these days we will witness competencies, conferences, culinary demonstrations, pairings and other activities. A gastronomic trip where the only requirement is the adventurous palate.” He added that in this edition “we innovate once again with a special event: we announce with great pride that the first international franchise workshop will meet in parallel.”
For his part, the Spanish chef Miguel Ángel Jiménez opened the cycle of conferences with “two kitchens: Cuban and Spanish, and its merger”, and urged “creating gastronomic proposals from authenticity (…) so that visitors feel happy to try a piece of Cuba”.
In addition, He emphasized: “In a festival like this it is important to keep those links alive that make us admire the Cuban and Spanish culinary, because they are two cultures that have a lot in common.” He also said: “When looking for unmatched experiences, food has a high potential.”
According to ACNVaradero Gourmet seeks to “contribute to the exchange of experiences and knowledge”, generate alliances between suppliers and tourist exhibitors, and promote the sustainability of offers. The thematic axis links Cuban cuisine with influences from other latitudes.
Latin press He stressed that the edition includes sommeliería, gastronomic service and cocktails “depending on the good tourist work” of the island, and cited Venero highlighting the concurrence of national and international actors “despite complex situations.”
Meanwhile, the magazine Cuba sun He presented the festival as a “key platform” for alliances and to position Varadero as Mice and Gastronomic destination, with commitment to a “healthy and responsible” offer.
Varadero Gourmet 2025 began a day after the national collapse of the SEN. This Wednesday, the electric union reported the total fall of the system at 9:14 am state media They documented That, on the night of the same day, “microsystems” already contributed hundreds of megawatts while the service was replenished. Although all the provinces were linked to SEN, there were effects and thousands of customers continued without electrical service.
The Government attributed the event to failures in the Thermoelectric Central (CTE) Antonio Guiteras.
Despite the professional nature of the event, the festival is also oriented towards international tourism. The Mintur designed tourist packages with accommodation in hotels of four and five stars of Varadero, such as Meliá Las Américas, Barceló Solymar and the Sol Varadero Beach. Rates are quoted in dollars and include transfers, airport assistance and participation in festival activities. Registration as a delegate costs $ 100 or 10,000 Cuban pesos, while daily participation is offered at $ 10 or 1,000 Cuban pesos. To compete in the contests, the fee is 45 dollars or 5,000 pesos.
The culinary proposal of the festival includes sustainability principles, with emphasis on the use of local and seasonal products. According to the organizers, the concept of gastronomic fusion of the event is committed to “stocking the farmers of the place; not only for being a guarantee of quality and freshness, but because of the energy saving it supposes.” Alternative cuisine and recovery of traditional knowledge will also be promoted.
However, the celebration of a luxury gastronomic festival amid the acute food crisis that Cuba lives generates questions. While an event is celebrated where fresh ingredients, culinary vanguard and gourmet products are valued, many Cuban families face the impossibility of accessing basic foods such as milk, rice, meat or oil. Inflation, shortage, government policies and the fall in agricultural production have drastically deteriorated food security on the island.
The paradox is accentuated if it is considered that much of the necessary products to supply the festival, including wines, meats and condiments, must be imported or deviated from tourist circuits, in a context in which state markets and rationed wineries offer less and less options for the population.
