Jerez de la Frontera is named as Spain's Gastronomy Capital for 2026

The jury made its decision later on Friday and Jerez de la Frontera has now been named the 2026 Spanish Capital of Gastronomy. After a very close competition with Antequera (Malaga province), this city in Cadiz province has now achieved national recognition thanks to a solid, ambitious project closely linked to its culinary identity.

Jerez's mayor, María José García-Pelayo, excited and delighted about the news, stated that the jury has recognised Jerez as "a great capital" and, "above all, one of the cities with the best food in all Spain."

"Let's enjoy 2026. It will help us to continue improving Jerez", García-Pelayo told the attending media. She then praised the "unanimous" support received and said it was an achievement for the city won "by all of us".

The bid from Jerez, under the slogan "Eat, Drink, Love Jerez", was promoted by Jerez de la Frontera city council and the local hospitality industry. This candidacy was notable for the collective involvement of wineries, restaurants, 'tabancos' (Jerez's traditional sherry and wine bars) and food producers who have successfully conveyed the diversity and richness of the city's cuisine. From its wine offer from the Jerez area, with centuries-old 'bodega' wineries and world-renowned wines, to its culinary traditions with dishes such as Jerez (sherry) cabbage , vine garlic, 'chicharrones' (a local dish made with pork rind), kidneys braised in sherry or the delicious, egg yolk dessert of tocino de cielo topped with Pedro Ximénez.

Its portfolio includes promotional, sustainability and outreach projects that champion responsible gastronomic tourism, reinforcing the "Jerez" brand name as a symbol of authenticity and quality.

The city is already preparing its 54 activities planned for 2026 as Spanish Capital of Gastronomy. Wine and tapas events, cultural tours, food festivals and collaborations with local producers are just some of the initiatives designed to make visitors to Jerez fall in love with the legacy and traditions of its cuisine, its culture and its history.

The Spanish Capital of Gastronomy (CEG) is an annual award that aims to recognise the city that has excelled in promoting gastronomy, both nationally and internationally, as one of Spain's main tourism attractions.

The jury is made up of various personages from the Ministries of Trade-Tourism and Agriculture-Food, the Spanish hospitality industry's trade organisation, the Spanish association of travel agencies, the Spanish institute for tourism quality and sustainability (Ictes), Saborea España, Fitur, the Eurotoques chefs' organisation, the 'tapas and pinchos' academy, the Círculo de Restaurantes Centenarios (an elite group of century-old restaurants across Spain) and tourism and gastronomy journalists.

The Spanish Capital of Gastronomy (CEG) awards were created in 2012. The award-winning cities from previous years achieved excellent results in terms of attracting visitors and consolidating their quality gastronomic offerings. Previous winners were Logroño (2012), Burgos (2013), Vitoria (2014), Cáceres (2015), Toledo (2016), Huelva (2017), León (2018), Almeria (2019), Murcia (2020/21), Sánlucar de Barrameda (2022), Cuenca (2023), Oviedo (2024) and Alicante (2025).

Finally, it is known that the city from Cadiz will take the reins from Alicante, the Gastronomic Capital for 2025. The announcement took the Jerez team by surprise and was received with great joy across the province as this makes Jerez de la Frontera the second municipality in the province of Cadiz to receive this recognition, following Sanlúcar de Barrameda in 2022.