– On the 28th and 29th of September, the seventh edition of  ‘D*na Festival’ will bring together outstanding chefs, producers and restaurateurs in Dénia to pay homage to the countryside and its people.

– Quique Dacosta, Eneko Atxa, Rodrigo de la Calle, Susi Díaz and Vicky Sevilla, head the provisional line-up of “stars” of this great Mediterranean gastronomy event.

Dénia is getting ready to host the seventh edition of the D*na Festival, to be held on the 28th and 29th of September, consolidating this Alicante town as the epicentre of Mediterranean cuisine. Organised by the Dénia Creative City of Gastronomy Foundation and curated by the three Michelin star chef Quique Dacosta, this event will once again bring together leading chefs, producers and restaurateurs, offering a unique culinary experience accessible to all audiences.

From its idyllic seafront location on Dénia’s Paseo de la Marineta Cassiana, the festival will this year turn its gaze towards the countryside to pay homage to its people and products, the true pillars of this region’s famed gastronomy. Participants will join together in a culinary tribute to the authentic flavours of the land, celebrating the diversity and high quality of Mediterranean produce, especially from La Marina Alta.

The list of gastronomic stars will once again be one of the main attractions of D*na. Established chefs and promising young chefs of regional cuisine will share the limelight on the route of more than one kilometre that will be set up on the Paseo de la Marineta Cassiana, together with producers, farmers, winegrowers, gastronomic artisans and restaurateurs from the Valencian Community. All of them will bring to the public the goodness of the produce and cuisine of this privileged Mediterranean region.

Among the first names who have already confirmed their presence at the event are internationally renowned chefs such as Eneko Atxa, Rodrigo de la Calle, Susi Díaz and Vicky Sevilla. They will be joined by other outstanding chefs from our country, yet to be revealed.

Eneko Atxa will be one of the great attractions of the festival. The Basque chef has become one of the youngest chefs to achieve the third Michelin star with his restaurant Azurmendi, repeatedly recognised as the most sustainable restaurant in the world. His holistic approach and commitment to sustainability and innovation is reflected in every dish, underlining the importance of valuing local ingredients. Eneko will showcase at D*na his masterful ability to transform garden produce into a sublime culinary experience, enriching the event with his unique vision of respect for the environment.

Rodrigo de la Calle, the Madrid-born chef who has revolutionised cuisine with his focus on gastrobotany, will share his green haute cuisine approach. From his restaurant El Invernadero (with a Michelin star, one Michelin Green star and two suns from the Repsol Guide), he has dignified vegetables, making them the absolute protagonists of his dishes. At D*na, Rodrigo will present his pioneering proposals in the recovery of forgotten vegetable varieties and will convey the need to commit to sustainable and ecological cuisine.

Susi Díaz, chef and soul of the restaurant La Finca in Elche (with one Michelin star and two Repsol suns) and one of the most famous chefs in Spain, will represent the essence of Alicante’s gastronomy at D*na. Her cuisine places value on seasonal and local products, with respect for the environment and the surroundings as fundamental ingredients. Susi Díaz will show in Dénia her mastery in transforming the local ingredients of the land into gastronomic works of art that combine traditional flavours with the latest trends in international cuisine.

Vicky Sevilla, the youngest woman to achieve a Michelin star in Spain, will bring to the festival the distinctive personal touch that characterises her restaurant Arrels, in Sagunto (Valencia). “Arrels” means “roots” in Valencian, and it is precisely this concept of rootedness to the territory that defines her proposal. Vicky Sevilla will surprise at the next D*na with her freshness and culinary creativity, demonstrating how she has revolutionised the gastronomic scene with her cuisine based on produce, territory and memory, using ultra-local and seasonal ingredients to create dishes that evoke memories and celebrate authenticity.

A great feast of Mediterranean gastronomy, open to the public

The seventh edition of the D*na Festival will once again bring together chefs, producers, artisans and restaurateurs to celebrate a great gastronomic festival with visitors. Conceived as an open-air auditorium, the festival will be a space for learning, discovering new flavours and culinary sensations. After six successful editions, this event has positioned itself as one of the most renowned gastronomic events in Spain. This year, the festival is expanding its programme and activities, offering a complete experience that includes talks on current trends in the sector, live showcookings and a wide range of workshops for adults and children, where local produce will be the undisputed protagonist.

Along the route of the festival there will be exhibition stands where regional producers will showcase the best products from La Marina Alta: vegetables, cured meats, preserves, honey, oils, ice cream, coffee, wines and spirits. Visitors will be able to sample the delicacies made from the excellent raw materials produced in this region, such as vegetables from Arrelats de Parcent, L’Hort de Neli de Pedreguer and Cult-Eco de Pego; the oil from Oligarium, Alma de Mujer from Jávea; the sausages from Ca Paquitina from Ondara; the preserves from VegaDénia; the honey from El Serralet de Segaria and Melena; and the famous cakes from Beekery de Dénia, la Coquería de Orba and la Coquería Jordi al Nin de Jesús Pobre. There will also be an outstanding participation of local wineries, headed by Finca Collado from Salinas and Joan de la Casa Viticultor from Benissa, together with other well-known wineries such as Celler les Freses from Jesús Pobre, Carnot Licor from Dénia, Montesanco from Teulada or La Zafra from Monóvar, among many others.

The regional products stalls will share the D*na route with those of renowned Dénia restaurateurs, who will prepare a selection of tapas based on local products. The public attending the D*na will have the opportunity to taste the creations of the best restaurants in Dénia, among others, El Raset, Terra de Sabor, Tasty, Doa, Fuego Marina and Nomada; and, of course, of an icon of this town’s haute cuisine such as Quique Dacosta’s restaurant.

This great celebration of Mediterranean gastronomy will not be without one of its protagonists: rice. D*na will have rice stalls, where the public will be able to discover and taste the best rice dishes of the region, prepared by specialists such as El Marino, Miguel Juan and QMComo from Dénia and Casa Pepa from Ondara.

The D*na Festival 2024 promises to be a great celebration and an invitation to explore the richness of La Marina Alta through its most emblematic products. Guided by local producers and the most outstanding chefs of our country, the attendees will be able to enjoy a unique experience in one of the great events of the national gastronomic calendar, which will once again place the city of Dénia at the epicentre of Mediterranean gastronomy.

More info: www.dnafestivaldenia.com

Report by ‘24/7 Valencia’ team

Article copyright ‘24/7 Valencia’