A popular food fair and the 9th World Tripe Championship kick off PanFest

On Sunday, June 14, Zamora’s Plaza Mayor will become a venue for a culinary celebration with one undisputed star: bread, an essential accompaniment to the stews that will make up the offerings at the popular fair kicking off the first edition of PanFest.

The International Bread and Flour Congress (sponsored by Caja Rural de Zamora and organized by Madrid Fusión) kicks off its inaugural event by reaching out to the residents of its host city, Zamora, with a festive program that will not only offer food tastings from some of the city’s most iconic local restaurants at affordable prices but will also feature the 9th World Tripe Championship.

A tripe feast!

The public event will begin at 12 noon with the ninth edition of the World Tripe Championship, a long-standing competition spearheaded by Asturian chef Pedro Martino (Restaurante Pedro Martino, Caces, Asturias). This iconic dish of traditional cuisine, always served with a good loaf of bread to dip in its characteristic sauce, is honored through this contest as one of the most beloved stews of our country’s folk and tavern traditions. From San Sebastian Gastronomika, the setting where the contest was held in its two previous editions, the World Tripe Championship now makes its way to Zamora as part of PanFest, featuring nine exceptional finalists.

The selected establishments that will compete with their recipes in next Sunday’s final hail from different parts of Spain. Asturias is represented by two contestants, Ángel Martínez de Marigorta (Arraigo, Posada de Llanera) and Borja Alcázar (Abrelatas, Pola de Siero); and Madrid is represented by Alberto González (El Del Medio) and Pedro Gallego (Casa Mortero). From the province of Barcelona, the finalist Encarnació Pou (Ca la Nati, Vic) will be present, while from the Atlantic coast, Miguel Celaya (Boliña El Viejo, Gernika) and Chisco Jiménez (Culuca Cocina Bar, A Coruña) will be there. From inland Cáceres, Javier Martín (Restaurante Javier Martín) will participate, and local representation will be provided by María Jesús Chillón, from Bar Chillón in Zamora.

From among all of them, the winner of the best tripe of 2026 will be chosen. This decision will be made by a professional jury composed of chefs Luis Alberto Lera (Lera*, Castroverde de Campos, Zamora); Trifón Jorge (El Fogón de Trifón, Madrid), and Sacha Hormaechea (Sacha, Madrid); architect Francisco Somoza; and Benjamín Lana, CEO of Vocento Gastronomía.

Street-Level Gastronomy

Alongside the World Tripe Championship, Zamora’s Plaza Mayor will also host a true gastronomic festival where locals and visitors are invited to enjoy stews prepared by seven Zamora restaurants. At the affordable price of two euros per tapa, and from 12 p.m. to 4 p.m., the festival invites the people of Zamora to join the PanFest celebration, an event that aims to position this city in Castile and León as the world capital of quality bread and flour.

The food festival will offer tastings with one common thread: they’re all meant for dipping bread. Among the stews available at this popular event are legume dishes such as Fuentesaúco chickpeas with Aliste boletus edulis from the restaurant Casa Aurelia; Tierra de Campos lentils with Zamora chorizo from Cuzeo; and broad beans with cod from Catering de Luz. Tripe will not leave the Plaza Mayor after the Championship, as it can be enjoyed with creamy rice made with pig’s trotters and tripe, courtesy of Finca la Yagona, or as the classic tripe tapa from La Becera restaurant. Rounding out the culinary offerings are potatoes with ribs from Taberna Lasal and a pig’s ear tasting from CIFP Ciudad de Zamora.