Ingrid Serra from Tickets restaurant was the winner of the 17th International Award for Cooking with Extra Virgin Olive Oil.

The Award for Cooking with Extra Virgin Olive Oil competition, which was held for the 17th time this year, set a precedent in many ways. While Ingris Serra from Tickets restaurant became the first woman winner of the competition history, this year saw the greatest participation ever with 50 candidates. Successful chef Serra, who came first, used several oils including Oro de Cánava, Oleocampo Ecológico, Balcón del Guadalquivir and Olivo Real. Second place went to chef Alberto Gil, from Santerra restaurant in Madrid, who competed with the recipe Hake head gazpachuelo soup, smoked oil ice cream and cured hake. And third place went to María Lorenzo, from Voro restaurant in Mallorca, with the recipe Remojón de Cónchar, which contained cod, orange and “olive pansida.”

All three chefs prepared their dishes before a panel of judges comprising eight renowned gastronomic experts, who were tasked with analyzing the participants’ use of extra virgin olive oils. The panel included heavyweights like Michelin-star chefs Paco Morales, María José San Román, Juan Aceituno and Pedro Sánchez Jaén.

This was the first edition that was executed entirely online, except for the final, which was a small, in-person event.

The goal of these awards is to promote extra virgin olive oil in Spain and abroad and to boost consumption while also positioning Jaén province as a leader around the world in superior quality extra virgin olive oil.