The FESTÍ FEST repeats the success of the first edition
The gastronomic festival promoted by the ARA and the Fira Àpat sells more than 5,000 tickets in its second edition.
BarcelonaThe second edition from the FESTÍ FEST, which took place this weekend at the Antigua Fábrica Estrella Damm, has sold more than 5,000 tickets, repeating the success of last year. The Barcelona local gastronomic festival, organized by the newspaper ARA and Fira Àpat, has welcomed young and family audiences who have attended the talks and workshops and have been able to try the twenty unique dishes prepared by ten outstanding restaurants in the city.
The gastronomic podium of this edition has been for the kebab from Bien Kebab, with Girona beef with tahini, pico de gallo, cabbage and yogurt sauce; the low-temperature pulled beef burger from Salt del Colom, from El Filete Ruso; and the Duroc pork sausage sandwich with Berguedà quince mayonnaise, from Casa Pepi. This last dish ended up selling out.
As expected, the most coveted drink was Estrella Damm, in clear first place, with more than 5,500 beers sold. In second place were soft drinks from Fritz-Kola, a festival collaborator. Those who consumed it were given a caricature of illustrator Giulia Sagramola.
Workshops, tastings and talks
One of FESTÍ FEST's distinguishing features is its program of cultural activities to complement the gastronomic experience. "We are not only a gastronomic festival, but also a cultural one, with a well-curated selection of workshops, tastings, and talks," says Pablo Casals, general director of ARA. Both the workshops and the tastings have sold out. The ceramics event, led by Bakana, was a resounding success, and even required new spaces. The same has happened with the showcooking from Es Im-perfect with Julià Castelló, chef of the Insolent restaurant in Barcelona.
Content proposals have also played an important role at the festival: Vips & Vins with Laura Rosel and Maria Vallespí talking about wine preferences, wine tourism, or sharing with those who would see the last wine (Rosel is clear, with Rosalía); monologues by La Missjones and Àlex Vila, and nutrition talks with Fundació Alícia and CoDiNuCat, talking about how to eat to sleep well and intermittent fasting and the lack of scientific evidence, respectively. The festival has also hosted the ARA podcast And this is news?, in which journalists Alejandra Palés and Joan Callarissa talked about celebrities and gastronomy. The icing on the cake was provided by Sidonie, with a live interview and a performance of some songs from her first and newest album in Catalan.
All of this was enlivened by a musical selection featuring DJ sets by HAL 9000, Indiecool DJ, and Zofia Condisco, who covered the festival hours, from the vermouth to the final party, which especially rocked the dance floor.
Local artisans
A total of sixteen stalls have filled the FESTÍ FEST gastronomy and crafts market with products ranging from the most awarded Catalan cheeses in the world, Betara Cheeses, to the chocolate innovation of Chez Rita, in the kimchi From Sants Ferments to the fresh chilies at ¡Qué Pimientos! The merchants' balance has been very positive. Some even sold out on the first day and had to restock to cover Sunday's demand.
"Last year was our first edition and we didn't really know how it would be received. This year we've consolidated the project. Many people have returned and we have many new attendees. With a proposal of local gastronomy, with an offer from producers exclusive to Catalonia," concludes Josep Garcia, director of Fira 2 FESTINO FEST.
