The Parque Ribalta in Castellón de la Plana was the chosen venue for the third regional semi-final of this renowned gastronomic competition. Throughout the morning, forty professionals from various towns in the Valencian Community competed to secure one of the twelve places reserved for the final in Sueca.
The semi-final's realization was made possible through the collaboration between the city councils of Sueca and Castellón, the Municipal Tourism Board of Castellón, and sponsoring companies. A large number of citizens gathered at the park to witness firsthand how the participants cooked authentic Valencian paella, following the contest's official recipe, under identical conditions and with the same ingredients.
“"The success of our competition's call for entries has been demonstrated once again by the high demand to attend today, which excites us and encourages us to continue working with the same enthusiasm, especially seeing the happiness they show when they are awarded one of the twelve places for the final in Sueca."
The director of the Sueca International Valencian Paella Contest noted that, after three years, the regional semi-final has consolidated due to the high demand for participation. He thanked the professionals for their effort and interest in attending and trying to secure a place in the grand final, highlighting that this year's turnout exceeded expectations with 63 pre-registrations, of which 40 were able to participate.
The twelve restaurants that will participate in the grand final in Sueca are: Tasca del Puerto Grao de Castellón, Restaurante Vaiven Alcossebre, Casa Quitín Burjassot, Restaurante La Palmera Paiporta, Restaurante Isabel Playa Playa de Gandía, Restaurante Ca Ladio Llombai, Restaurante La Garrofera Serra, Restaurante Goya Gallery Valencia, Restaurante Setaigües Siete Aguas, Restaurante La Llarga Valencia, Restaurante Los Mejillones 3 Valencia, and Restaurante Ca Teresa El Saler.
The cooked paellas were tasted by a large number of visitors, and the money raised from ticket sales was donated to an association for oncology patients in Castellón.
