The culinary scene of Ibiza and Formentera is looking to the future. AGIF has taken advantage of its annual general assembly to launch an initiative aimed at the next generation of chefs: young people from the Pitiüses Islands between 14 and 18 years old who are passionate about cooking and gastronomy.
Under the name ‘Los alevines de la Academia,’ this new organization will be part of the structure of the gastronomic institution and will offer young people their own space to discover, learn, and participate in various activities related to the culinary culture of the islands. Activities will include extra virgin olive oil tastings, meet-ups and classes with local chefs, and an introduction to the traditional products and crops of Ibiza and Formentera.
“Pitiusa gastronomy will need a new generation to take over, both in restaurants and kitchens, as well as at the Academy,“ explains Pedro Matutes, president of the Academy of Ibiza and Formentera. This statement summarizes the spirit of a project that aims to ensure the transmission of culinary knowledge is not limited to professionals alone, but begins much earlier, awakening interest in the region and its products among younger generations.
From Ibiza to the world
The creation of “Los alevines de la Academia” was not the only decision made during the annual general meeting. The organization also reviewed the activities carried out over the past twelve months and established its planning for the period from July 2026 to July 2027.
Among the objectives, promoting Pitiüs cuisine abroad once again takes center stage. After the initiative held in Athens in collaboration with the Royal Academy of Gastronomy of Spain and the Spanish Embassy in Greece, Ibiza and Formentera are already preparing for a new international chapter.
The first gastronomic event dedicated to Ibizan cuisine, held at the King George Hotel in Athens, brought some of the flavors and products that define the islands’ culinary identity to the Greek capital. The initiative concluded with an event at the Spanish Embassy in Athens, attended by journalists, food content creators, and local chefs, featuring Ibiza chefs José Miguel Bonet and Alberto Pacheco, and organized in collaboration with the Council of Ibiza.
The next destination will be Brussels, where AGIF will organize a new gastronomic promotion event in collaboration with the Belgian Gastronomic Academy and the Carlos de Amberes Foundation, a historic institution with more than four centuries of history. The goal is to bring not only the recipes from the islands, but also a way of understanding cuisine that is closely linked to the local area beyond the islands’ borders. Local products, traditional recipes, and the work of the chefs will be the stars of this new international event.
“Bringing the richness of our cuisine, our recipes, and our products beyond our borders,” says Matutes. The delegation will be accompanied by chefs from the islands, thereby reinforcing a strategy that considers gastronomy one of the key tools for promoting the culture of Ibiza and Formentera.
Union vs. Madrid at Forbes House
The Academy’s program also includes a new event in Spain. In March 2027, the Pitiusan institution will formalize its sisterhood with the Madrid Gastronomic Academy at Forbes House.
The event will take the form of a gastronomic dialogue between two regions with very different culinary identities, but united by their commitment to promoting local products and cuisine as cultural heritage. The cuisines of Madrid and the Pitiuses will share the spotlight in an event that will also feature local producers and some of the most prominent chefs from both regions.
Pepita Costa
The assembly also unanimously approved the appointment of Pepita Costa, director of the Balearic Islands School of Hospitality in Ibiza, as a new full member. Her appointment recognizes the role the School of Hospitality has played in training the professionals the sector needs and in consolidating an increasingly specialized gastronomy.
In a region where the economy is closely tied to tourism, hospitality training takes on strategic importance: professionalizing the sector, preparing the next generation, researching local cuisine, and helping to preserve and develop traditional recipes.
“The school was essential, since tourism is the islands’ main economic activity,” notes Matutes. His appointment expands the Academy’s institutional representation, which already includes among its ex officio members the presidents of the Councils of Ibiza and Formentera and the five mayors of the island of Ibiza.