Balfegó Announces the 6th #BalfegóWTalent Scholarship with a New Advisory Committee Composed of Leading Women in Gastronomy
Renowned culinary figures such as Fina Puigdevall (Les Cols), Paula Gutiérrez (Tayta), Balfegó's executive chef Alejandra Ormeño, and Néstor Luján Gastronomic Journalism Award-winning journalist Mónica Ramírez will lead the selection of the winner. Registration is now open on Balfegó's official website to pursue the Higher Degree in Kitchen Management at MOM Culinary Institute.
Balfegó is announcing the sixth BalfegóWTalent scholarship to pursue the Official Higher Degree: Higher Technician in Kitchen Management, with the aim of boosting the professional careers of women in the world of gastronomy and hospitality. The initiative's goal is to continue contributing to reducing the gender gap in this sector, promoting parity, and creating a culture of diversity, equity, and inclusion. BalfegóWTalent is part of the principles and equality plan of this company specializing in bluefin tuna fishing, aquaculture, and marketing.
This initiative, which Balfegó has held for the sixth consecutive year, is further proof of the company's interest and rigorous social and environmental performance standards, as well as its public transparency and legal responsibility, which has made it the first in the Spanish fishing sector to achieve B Corp certification.
According to Juan Serrano, general director of Balfegó, "reaching the sixth edition of this program consolidates the scholarship's commitment to female talent. After the success of previous editions, this year we are taking another step by adding an advisory committee with women who are true leaders in our gastronomy. Their criteria and experience guarantee maximum rigor and, above all, great inspiration for future students." The scholarship will be developed, once again, in collaboration with the MOM Culinary Institute cooking school.
A New Committee of Experts for Selection
As the main novelty this year, the selection of the winner will for the first time rely on the criteria of an advisory committee formed by leading women in the current gastronomic sector, providing unique rigor and a global vision to the process.
Among the confirmed professionals are Fina Puigdevall, chef at Les Cols restaurant (Olot) and an undisputed reference in identity-driven, sustainable, and local cuisine. Alongside her will be Paula Gutiérrez, trained in Michelin-starred kitchens such as Noor, Deessa, and Hermanos Torres, winner of Chef Balfegó 2024 and Best Chef 2026, who currently leads Tayta Restaurante (Salamanca), fusing Peruvian and Spanish cuisine with a special focus on game; Alejandra Ormeño, Balfegó's executive chef and a key player in the brand's gastronomic development; and specialized journalist Mónica Ramírez (Néstor Luján Gastronomic Journalism Award 2024).
Boosting Future Professionals
In its five previous editions, this scholarship has been a point of inclusion and a turning point for its winners, such as Colombian Karen Geraldino, selected in the last 2025 edition. The project has served as a direct entry point into the sector for all its students, as highlighted by Melanie Camino, a recipient of the fourth edition: "the Balfegó scholarship has given me the opportunity to leave studies that I was not satisfied with and enter the world of haute cuisine." For Paula Álvarez, the third scholarship recipient, the experience was a great boost: "I am very grateful to Balfegó for this opportunity. I believe that cooking is a very creative art with a lot of love."
Jessica Gibu, the second BalfegóWTalent scholarship recipient, expressed similar sentiments: "the scholarship has changed my life and opened doors; it has been a great opportunity in my professional career." Finally, Francina Adell, the first student to receive this aid, believes that "there are few women in professional kitchens and the scholarship provided by Balfegó is a way to encourage them to become great in the sector."
Candidates wishing to apply for the scholarship can submit their application until July 31 by filling out a simple form and attaching their curriculum vitae via the following official link: balfego.com/balfegowtalent. The professional committee will be responsible for evaluating the applications, and the winner will be announced soon.
About Balfegó
Balfegó is a family of fishermen from Ametlla de Mar (Tarragona). In the 1980s, as true visionaries, they decided to invest in bluefin tuna fishing and, after years of effort, they have managed to revolutionize the traditional fishing of this species, becoming the world leader in the capture, fishing, study, marketing, and promotion of bluefin tuna.
Balfegó bluefin tuna live in pens off the coast of Ametlla de Mar (Tarragona) for a maximum of one year and are fed exclusively with oily fish. Their drive for product excellence has made them the only company in the world that extracts tuna from the sea at its optimal fat point, on demand from their customers. The extraction method they use guarantees a stress-free product, resulting in a product of excellent gastronomic value, present in the best restaurants on the planet.