Best ‘espeto’ in Torremolinos, official

The best espeto cook in the Costa del Sol was decided on Saturday on Playamar beach in Torremolinos.

Once again, there was no doubt that Alfonso Marín from the Los Leones beach bar in Torremolinos is the king of the espeto. This is his second consecutive year as champion of the espeto boat. Second and third places in this 10th anniversary of the espeto competition went to Miguel León from the La Mar Bonita beach bar in Torremolinos and Nicolás Joaquín Gavin from Trocadero Casa de Botes in Málaga, respectively.

The event was attended by various dignitaries of politics and government as well as celebrated chefs to sample the fish delights skewered on sticks and barbecued over burning olive wood, a delicacy specific to the Costa del Sol and integral part of this coast’s cultural and culinary identity.

Top chefs choose finest espetos in Torremolinos

Some 20 professional espeto chefs participated in the competition, preparing an espeto of sardines plus another of a fish of their choosing for a jury evaluating such aspects as flavour, texture, how evenly cooked the fish was and presentation. This year the jury was made up of seven respected names in the world of Spanish gastronomy including the executive chef of Los Marinos José, with two Repsol Suns and a Michelin Guide Mention, and Pablo Sánchez and also Pablo Vega, best Chef Club de Gourmets.

The winners received a commemorative trophy and a prize of €1,000 for first place, €500 for second place and €300 for third. A large part of the proceeds from the event will go to the charity EMAÚS.