A total of 30 aspirants from different parts of the area participated this morning in the Estrella Galicia Beer Pulling Championship in the Canary Islands which took place in the Gran Hotel Bahía del Duque in Tenerife.
After different stages in which they had to demonstrate their skills when serving beer, both draught and bottled, and answer a number of questions about the world of beer, Violant Pallejá Piqué, from “Veinte 04 Surf Café” in El Médalo (Tenerife), has won the title Best Beer Puller in the Canary Islands. In her own words, “I entered the championship because my boss encouraged me to do it, and I’m really happy to have got this far”. She admits to having been very nervous throughout the different stages, despite having worked in the catering profession since she was 16, and that to represent the Canary Islands in the national championship is a great responsibility for her.
David Ruiz Zarria from “Big Sur Hotel Boutique” was the runner-up in the contest. He expressed how happy he was as he never thought he would get so far in the championship, and acknowledged that for those who work in catering it is a great experience and learning opportunity.
The runner-up prizes were won by Alexander Malaquín, from Arrecife (Lanzarote), Diego Padrón from Arona (Tenerife) and José Vicente González from Santa Cruz de Tenerife.
The jury congratulated the participants for the hard work and the high level of execution. There was a lot of tension during the competition which was followed by a large crowd that was there to support the participants.
The Estrella Galicia Beer Pulling Championship is a regional phase that will allow the Champion and runner-up to opt for the national title in the grand final to be held at the beginning of 2016.
The jury was made up by professionals from the world of bars and restaurants, and had to work hard to evaluate the aspirants’ quality and excellence when serving as well as their knowledge about beer. It was made up by Fernando Iglesias Quiroga, Head of Market Quality of Hijos de Rivera (Chairman of the Jury), Xabier Cubillo de la Hoz, Market Quality expert at Hijos de Rivera, Óscar Santos, Sommelier from Vinófilos, and Michel Burgio, Food & Beverage Manager at the Gran Hotel Bahía del Duque.
The five finalists won their weight in beer, the cash prize for the winner was €600 euros, and for the runner-up €400. There were also three consolation prizes of €150. All the finalists were given diplomas accrediting their participation, and the champion and runner-up go straight through to the National Championship, with paid travel and expenses.
Acknowledging barmen’s good service
Estrella Galicia has decided to put to the test the professionals’ skills and quality of service throughout Spain with the aim of rewarding the effort and talent of barmen when serving the product at its optimum point for the consumer to enjoy.
The aim of this championship is to promote beer culture, the values of beer as a product of excellence within the food and beverage industry, and acknowledge the work carried out by bartenders as a fundamental link in the distribution chain of Estrella Galicia products. Professionalism in catering establishments is fundamental to offer end consumers the full range of possibilities a premium beer such as Estrella Galicia has to offer.
