EROSKI and Basque Culinary Center have presented the “EROSKI-BCC Onenak Awards”, which for 13 years have sought to support projects by members of the BCC alumni community. These members are transforming the way we understand food and gastronomy, and stand out for their commitment to local produce, sustainability and innovation, values shared by both organisations. In this edition, the awards have recognised Rocío Maeso and Ander Rodríguez of Restaurante Muina in Zumaia; Isabel Chozas, chef and co-founder of the Salinas Santa Teresa project in Cádiz; and David Cordobés, co-founder of AC Cakes, a Madrid company known for its innovative cheesecakes.

The ceremony took place today at Basque Culinary Center in Miramón (Donostia-San Sebastián). Attending for the training centre were Vicente Atxa, Chair of the Board of Trustees of Basque Culinary Center and Rector of Mondragon Unibertsitatea, and, for EROSKI, Rosa Carabel, CEO of EROSKI Group. Representatives of Eusko Jaurlaritza, the Basque Government, and of Nafarroako Gobernua, the Government of Navarre, were also present, among them Amaia Barredo, Minister for Food, Agriculture and Fisheries of Eusko Jaurlaritza; Iván Larraza, Deputy Minister for Welfare of Eusko Jaurlaritza; Jose Mª Aierdi, Minister for Rural Development and Environment of Nafarroako Gobernua; and Mikel Irujo, Minister for Industry, Ecological Transition and Business Digitalisation of Nafarroako Gobernua. More than a hundred professionals from the agri-food industry, representatives of chambers of commerce, institutions, associations and the media were also able to enjoy the event, where attendees tasted dishes and drinks prepared by the award recipients in a unique gastronomic experience.

Rosa Carabel, CEO of EROSKI Group, said in her address: “At EROSKI, we believe the future of food is built on three great pillars: innovation, sustainability and support for local produce. Innovation and technology are fundamental to transforming the sector, including in the kitchen and in the development of new products, opening up new possibilities to make the most of the area’s resources, our gastronomic tradition and the talent of those who are part of the food chain. At the same time, moving towards a more sustainable model requires strengthening ties with local producers, encouraging responsible use of resources and generating economic activity and jobs in our local area. The projects recognised in this new edition of the BCC Onenak awards are a magnificent example of how tradition, knowledge, creativity and innovation can come together to drive forward food that has a future.” She also stressed in her speech the importance of collaboration between all players in the food chain, a stance EROSKI strongly promotes because it considers it key to tackling the sector’s major challenges.

Vicente Atxa said: “For the thirteenth year running, we’re presenting the EROSKI-BCC Onenak Awards, an initiative that gives visibility to the talent of our community of graduates. Rocío, Ander, Isabel and David show that it is possible to start a business in gastronomy with identity, local produce and a commitment to the area, whether from a restaurant in Zumaia, a saltworks in Cádiz or a pastry company in Madrid. Doing so together with EROSKI reflects a shared commitment to the new generations who will shape the future of food.”

Graduates recognised in 2026

Rocío Maeso and Ander Rodríguez are the co-founders of Restaurante Muina, an acclaimed gastronomic project in the Gipuzkoan town of Zumaia, which opened its doors in April 2025. Together with Amaia Rodríguez and Mikel Toledo, these two professionals graduated from Basque Culinary Center in 2017 and have a track record recognised worldwide. Covering front of house and kitchen respectively, they are a couple both professionally and personally, and see the restaurant as a comprehensive project in which produce, quality, identity and hospitality move in the same direction. Their approach moves away from excessive formality to focus on seasonal, market-driven cooking with a very strong sense of place, working hand in hand with local producers. Last year they collected the Gastronomika Saria award for Opening of the Year at the San Sebastián Gastronomika congress.

Isabel Chozas, chef and co-founder of the Salinas Santa Teresa project in Cádiz, studied at Basque Culinary Center, where she graduated in Gastronomy and Culinary Arts in 2019. After completing her practical training in the kitchens of renowned restaurants, she decided to return to her home region. She is the founding partner and head chef of the Salina Santa Teresa, in Chiclana de la Frontera (Cádiz), a project that combines family roots, entrepreneurship and gastronomic direction. Together with her sister Ángeles Chozas and her family, she is the driving force behind the recovery of this site of around 24 hectares in the Cádiz Bay Natural Park, which had been abandoned for more than 40 years. Isabel is now the director and chef of the restaurant “El Estero”, the salt pan’s gastronomic space. Her role is to turn the ecosystem’s own resources (fish from the tidal channels (esteros), seaweed, salicornia and salt from the salt pan itself) into a high-quality, zero-kilometre culinary offering. Her establishment is included in the Guía Repsol 2025.

For his part, David Cordobés, co-founder of AC Cakes, graduated from Basque Culinary Center in 2024. His company, based in Madrid, is known for its innovative cheesecakes. It currently produces between 1,500 and 2,000 cakes a day. What began as a home experiment during the pandemic is now one of the most viral and successful pastry brands in Spain, thanks to its focus on R&D applied to the product, together with highly prominent and recognised marketing. He has built a distinctive identity within the pastry world. David argues that today’s culinary revolution comes from connecting disciplines outside the kitchen, and he took part as a speaker at San Sebastián Gastronomika 2026 to discuss collaborative gastronomic innovation.

Over the various editions of the EROSKI-BCC Onenak awards, an expert committee has gradually selected professionals who trained in the degree, master’s programmes or professional programmes of Basque Culinary Center and who have set up projects of their own that are committed to innovation, sustainability and local produce. These three concepts are the basis of local gastronomy and of what food should be in the future, and both organisations actively promote them in all the initiatives they launch.