The Repsol Guide will announce its new 2024 Soles on March 4 in Cartagena (Murcia). But, to warm up the engines, it has just announced its new Sustainable Soles, an award that aims to recognize environmental commitment and innovation in sustainability matter.
Les Cols (Olot, Girona), A Tafona (Santiago de Compostela, A Coruña), Loreto (Jumilla, Murcia) and La Revelía (Amorebieta, Vizcaya) are the four new restaurants distinguished with this award, which will be presented to them in the Auditorium The Batel in Cartagena next month.
In the case of Les Cols (Olot) it has been its commitment to reclaim the environment, La Garrotxa, which has led this establishment to achieve the Sustainable Sun. For decades they have been campaigning to defend the product of the environment. This is what chef Fina Puigdevall did first, knowing how to pass it on to her daughters Martina, Clara and Carlota; who lead in Les Cols a generational transition worthy of applause, since they have managed to make the present and the past coexist fluidly without disputes or power games, as has been seen in other houses. According to what the chef told La Vanguardia a few days ago, "our project is more alive than ever, and the garden is increasingly present in the kitchen. We are focused on trying to close the circle of sustainability as much as possible."
The firm and convinced defense of the "untraveled product" is so present in Les Cols that they renounce fish that are not from rivers close to the area. For some years, in addition, cultivation and research work has been done in the fields of i D Casa Horitzó, where a multidisciplinary team works. “We use corn from a native variety and we have a hydraulic mill that allows us to obtain flour without consuming any energy that is not natural,” Martina Puigvert has explained on several occasions.
The work of Amas da terra, also distinguished in the 2023 edition of the Comer La Vanguardia Awards, has led A Tafona (Santiago de Compostela) to win a new Sustainable Sun. “For me it is the happiness of being able to help or give visibility to so many women. Having reached a point in my career when I can stop running and allow myself to enjoy each day with them and get to know more women, their reality and their lives. In addition to being very inspiring, it is a way to acquire knowledge that is being lost,” Lucía Freitas, in charge of the restaurant, said a few months ago in the 'Stay to eat' podcast.
And with her Amas da Terra project, the Galician chef has achieved something unprecedented: recognizing the role of women throughout the food chain and their protection of ancestral techniques. Together with CISPAC, a Galician university research center, she looks for new uses and analyzes the carbon footprint and environmental impact of her menu.
Chef Irene López's restaurant in Jumilla (Murcia) is a defense of the producers from which it is nourished, a reason that has led it to be distinguished with a new Sustainable Sun from Repsol. For the cook, they are her family, which is why since 2016 she has helped them convert the raw materials that they cannot sell for stupid reasons like 'being ugly' into useful ingredients: vinegars, pickles, pickles...
It is not the only thing that Loreto promotes, but they have also dedicated themselves to reforestation activities and, to provide themselves with renewable energy, they have installed solar panels in the restaurant.
Geothermal energy, photovoltaic panels... This is the commitment of the La Revelía restaurant in Amorebieta (Vizcaya) to save energy and also be much more respectful of the environment. Its sustainability plan has not gone unnoticed in the eyes of the Repsol Guide, which has awarded it a new Sun in this matter.
Located in a haven of peace typical of a forest, in the Aldana neighborhood, the signature cuisine of this establishment that uses the water from the springs on its land to irrigate its own garden, also starts from its closest surroundings. The commitment to sustainability also transcends the environment, reaching work: “We wanted both us and our staff to enjoy our families and, for this reason, we closed at Christmas, Easter, July and August.”
