From November 29 to December 7, Barcelona will be the guest of honor at the 39th edition of the Guadalajara International Book Fair (FIL), the largest editorial and cultural gathering in the Spanish-speaking world. Under the motto "Vendrán las flores" (Flowers Will Come), inspired by a story by Mercè Rodoreda, the city will present a program that goes beyond literature to include thought, music, performing arts, design, and gastronomy.
In this context, Chef Gerard Bellver, head of the restaurant JIRIBILLA in the Sant Antoni neighborhood, has been selected to represent the city's culinary proposal. He will be responsible for preparing the menu for the inaugural lunch, one of the most significant institutional events of the FIL, which will be held at the Barceló Hotel and will bring together more than 700 people.
Additionally, during the nine days of the fair, Bellver will lead the gastronomic festival at the restaurant Los Vitrales, where the daily buffet will offer the Mexican and international public a selection of dishes representing Barcelona's culinary tradition.
Bellver proposes a cuisine built on dialogue: between cultures, techniques, and memories. Born in Barcelona and trained in kitchens such as Arzak, Tezka, and El Bulli, he lived in Mexico for 28 years, where he was head chef at the Spanish Embassy and at Biko, one of the leading restaurants in Latin American haute cuisine. In 2023, he returned to his hometown to open JIRIBILLA, a restaurant where his two culinary landscapes converge with honesty, quality ingredients, and precision.
For Gerard Bellver, this invitation represents a symbolic return to Mexico, the country where he shaped much of his professional career. Today, from his kitchen at JIRIBILLA, he brings this journey back to Barcelona, and from Barcelona to one of the most significant cultural fairs in the world.