Keep an eye on this name: Javier Fuentes del Río. Today, we’re delighted to feature him on our blog for two reasons.
Firstly, because he is the chef at Ibéricos Torreón. And secondly, because he is one of the chefs who has qualified for the semi-final of the 4th International Ibérico Cooking Competition, which will take place on 4 July 2022 at the Casa de la Tierra Gastronomic Innovation Centre.
For those who haven’t heard of him, Javier Fuentes del Río is a passionate chef who knows all about the butterflies that come with taking part in a competition. Despite being just 22 years old, he has already competed in numerous culinary contests, consistently delivering outstanding performances and demonstrating remarkable skill in the kitchen through the originality, elegance and quality of his creations.
He trained in Salamanca at the renowned Fonda Veracruz School of Hospitality and completed his advanced qualification in Culinary Management at CIPF Rodríguez Fabrés. He has also gained experience at highly regarded restaurants including Coque in Madrid, Iván Cerdeño in Toledo and Atrio in Cáceres.
Internationally renowned chefs such as Dabiz Muñoz, Oriol Castro, Martín Berasategui and Diego Guerrero are, of course, a source of inspiration for Javier. However, he already has a very clear idea of the style of cooking that allows him to be at his most creative. He enjoys “bringing traditional cuisine—stews, sauces and all those familiar flavours—up to date”, which is why he strives to give classic recipes a more contemporary and refined approach. He describes his own style as “refined, elegant and highly elaborate cuisine”.
We’re not going to reveal the dish he’ll be preparing for the Ibérico Cooking Competition just yet, but we can tell you that it will fol.
As for his connection with Ibéricos Torreón, we can also reveal that Javier is our resident chef and the person behind the new gastronomic project we have just launched. We’ll be sharing more details very soon... but we’ll save that for another post 😉.
For now, it’s time to wish Javier Fuentes the very best of luck in the International Ibérico Cooking Competition, where he will compete alongside other outstanding chefs from Salamanca, including Gonzalo Elena Melgar from Restaurante Rivas; José Manuel Pascual González from Restaurante Bambú; Sara Cámara Fernández from Casa Pacheco; and Laura Ramos Sánchez from Aire Tapas 3.0. The list of semi-finalists also includes Alberto Montes Pereira from Restaurante Atrio; Álvaro Abad García from El Plantío; Daniel López Vázquez from Restaurante O Camiño do Inglés; Ignacio Caro Gómez from Auroch Restaurante; and José Moreschi from Venta de Posa.
Four chefs will qualify from this semi-final to compete in the grand final, scheduled to take place during the second day of the 4th International Ibérico Forum 2023.
We hope to see our chef make it all the way to the final! But whatever happens, we’ll continue to enjoy his talent and expertise as he works his magic with Torreón Ibérico pork.