After a year and a half with life halted by the COVID-19 health crisis, the Gastronomic Forum Barcelona 2021, a food service and gastronomy show held at the Fira de Barcelona, is back. From Oct. 18 to 20, the largest gastronomic fair in Barcelona returns renewed and with the aim of becoming the engine of economic recovery for the city's food service sector.

Featuring more than 300 companies and 100 speakers, and more than 60 chefs, a total of 46 Michelin stars will also be presented at the Fira as announced by directors Josep Alcaraz and Pep Palau. 

The program is divided into three areas, all under the central fair theme of sustainability: the sustainable restaurant; sustainability practices in production, trade and distribution; and finally, value propositions, marketing and knowledge for the better management of hospitality businesses. 

This year, the Forum Lab innovation area is collaborating with the World Capital of Sustainable Food, which awarded Barcelona the title in 2021. Here, more than 50 experts, many of them renowned chefs such as Fina Puigdevall, Xavier Pellicer, Oriol Ivern, Nandu Jubany and Paco Pérez, will offer conferences to provide useful tools for the sustainable management of restaurants. 

In addition, the fair will have specialized spaces such as Forum Dolç, which will focus on pastry, ice cream and bakery; Forum Vino, which will bring together sommeliers and wine cellars; and Espai Catalunya, with the aim of showing the work of more than 90 Catalan producers.

According to Josep Alcaraz, director of the event, "the Gastronomic Forum Barcelona will be key for the reactivation in the post-COVID stage because of the impact it will generate in the companies of the sector and because it will allow to reconnect businesses and commercial operations suspended during this period."

The event coincides with the celebration of the VII Global Forum of the Urban Food Policy Pact of Milan, which hosts the city of Barcelona from Oct. 19 to 21 as World Capital of Sustainable Food. 

The hall where the event will be held has a total of 6,000 square meters of commercial exhibition and the fair will occupy nearly 4,000 square meters where more than 70 activities will take place.