First New Oil Market announced for this autumn in Barcelona

"This autumn Barcelona will become the capital of Catalan extra virgin olive oil", said the Minister for Agriculture, Livestock, Fisheries and Food, Òscar Ordeig, at the closing of Lleida's MOS fair. From 21 to 23 November Barcelona's Plaça de Catalunya will host the first New Oil Market, an initiative of the Department of Agriculture, Livestock, Fisheries and Food through Prodeca, which seeks to champion this most Catalan of culinary ingredients, a symbol of the Mediterranean diet, give visibility to the Catalan olive oil sector and strengthen the bond between producers and the public.

The event forms part of the activities marking Catalonia's distinction as World Region of Gastronomy 2025, reaffirming the central role of local produce and our cooking.

A unique showcase for Catalan EVOO

Òscar Ordeig explained that "the New Oil Market is created to be the benchmark showcase for Catalan extra virgin olive oil (EVOO), a unique chance to show the richness, quality and versatility of this product of the land. Three days to promote its distinctiveness, encourage its consumption all year round and bring producers closer to urban consumers". 

The minister said that "over these three days people will be able to taste and buy new oil directly from producers and discover that every bottle holds landscape, effort and tradition while also guaranteeing health. Because EVOO is much more than a condiment: it is territorial identity and a symbol of an internationally recognised Mediterranean lifestyle". 

An open, free culinary experience

Plaça de Catalunya will become an open, free market, with a programme designed for families, young people and foodies. 
Besides the oil producers' stands, visitors will find live cooking workshops in the culinary classroom, where cooks from across the territory will demonstrate the versatility of oil in Catalan and Mediterranean cooking.

The New Oil Market also wants to be a real celebration of our cuisine, so there will be food trucks serving local, seasonal cooking with new oil as the star; a bar of Catalan designation-of-origin wines for pairing with the tastings; and a tasting area with tables and chairs to enjoy the market atmosphere.
In short, the New Oil Market will combine gastronomy, culture and education and aims to become an essential annual date in the culinary calendar of the city and of Catalonia as a whole. 

Giving visibility to the olive oil sector

The The New Oil Market is also a strategic tool for giving visibility to Catalan olive oil companies and strengthening their competitiveness. Producers will have a privileged space in one of Barcelona's most emblematic spots, where they can make direct contact with consumers, present their products and sell them. Dozens of Catalan producers will take part, also offering the chance to buy new oil for the whole year with home delivery.

In short, the New Oil Market wants to bring "liquid gold" to the wider public, give Catalan producers a voice and celebrate the richness and diversity of Catalan EVOO in the year Catalonia is World Region of Gastronomy. 

Launch of the "Let's use our food" campaign

The Agriculture Minister also referred to the fair's new format, which he called "very well judged and close to all audiences". The Department was able to run numerous activities on gastronomy and the products behind it. He also emphasised the part devoted to food waste, on the eve of the campaign "Let's use our food", which runs throughout October. Specifically, the minister took part in the live cooking session "No-waste hearty breakfasts: tradition and Catalan cooking against waste", where together with chef Oriol Solé and the CEO of Talkual they cooked a no-waste omelette with autumn garden produce and confit pork jowl with beans.

While preparing the hearty breakfasts, the minister explained that 40% of the restaurants taking part in the Gastrorecup meals are already fully booked. The initiative aims to make both the public and the sector aware of the need to actively join the fight against food waste and to value food. The sixty-five restaurants taking part in Gastrorecup this year will offer excellent menus priced between €15 and €20, showing everything that can be done with food that too often ends up wasted.