The article 'Rocío, tapas and sushi or the silence of Itamae', by journalist Lakshmi Aguirre, is the best of 2024, according to the brand new Roca Awards.

Journalist Lakshmi Aguirre, author of the article has won the award for best gastronomy report of 2024, awarded by the Roca brothers, co-founders of the Roca Awards along with journalists Toni Garcia and Òscar Broc. The award was announced to , in the town of Sant Julià de Ramis. During the awards ceremony, chef Joan Roca and journalist Toni Garcia confirmed their intention for the Roca Awards, which began this year, to continue to honor journalistic works and books published in Catalan, Spanish, and English.

Both also recalled how it all began: "Following an interview that journalist Xavi Bundó, from Rac1, conducted with Joan Roca, during which I later entered the studio, we started a joke about how many times Bundó had eaten at Bodega de Can Roca," Garcia recalls. That joke became a widespread phenomenon, which continued to grow thanks to Garcia's constant jokes, amplified by the weight of Bodega de Can Roca's social media, which claimed that the Rac1 journalist was a regular customer. Bundó had never been before, but the conversations he held over the course of several days with Garcia and Roca led them to build a rapport, and Roca suggested the three brothers create awards together to highlight culinary creations.



"They supported me, as well as Òscar Broc, a colleague we've trusted from the beginning, and with the help of the sponsor, among others, Turkish Airlines, we were able to make it happen," Garcia notes. Continuing, chef Joan Roca emphasized the quality of the jury that participated in the first edition of the awards. "It gives us great peace of mind because we are in good hands and supported," he stated, referring to the professional careers of the gastronomy journalists and writers.

In fact, Joan Roca himself revealed that the castle will also house a library specializing in gastronomy, in addition to the exhibition on the history of the Roca brothers, which is already open to visitors and serves as the gateway to the Esperit Roca restaurant. In the category of books published in Catalan, Marina Monsonís has won the honors, with the book (Ara Llibres), in which he tells stories and memories of Barcelona's Barceloneta neighborhood and calls for respect for all trades related to the sea. The winner in Spanish was Pescaderías Coruñesas, authors of the book , published by Planeta Gastro, which reviews the history and current events of the leading group, led by Diego García Azpiroz, with such important restaurants in Madrid as Desde 1911, where chef Diego Muercigo and head waiter Abel Valverde work.

And, in English, the winner was Jill Norman, author of the book (Reaktion Books), in which he tells the story of British gastronomy. A restaurant on the outskirts of Malaga In the category of unpublished books – the award commits to publishing them – the winners were the authors Roger Ortuño Flamerich, for the book in Spanish , and Joan Amorós Masachs for the volume in Catalan . In the article (published in the digital ), the journalist explains what the Málaga restaurant Rocío, Tapas y Sushi is like.

From the outset, she explains that it is difficult to find, and that is because often, she states, "sensational restaurants are a lonely den, an X on the outskirts." Based on the statements of the restaurant's owners, Juan Bautista and María José Mezcúa, the journalist details the couple's professional career and describes the dishes. The jury for the first edition of the Roca Awards included professionals such as David Simon, creator of the series ; Niki Segnit, author of the book ; Brian McGinn, series producer , from Netflix, and Matt Goulding, co-founder of the publishing house Road & Kingdoms.

Also present are Catalan journalists such as Rosa Molinero, Judith Calix, Cristina Jolonch, Marc Casanovas, and Pau Arenós, as well as Luis Suárez de Lezo, president of the Royal Academy of Gastronomy; Kim Díaz, founder of establishments such as Bar Mut, Mutis, Bocadillos Díaz, and the cocktail bar Muticlub; and Lito Baldovinos, a businessman linked to the Confiteria group, with which he runs the multi-award-winning cocktail bar Paradiso..