In February 2026, Stavanger’s leading restaurants welcomed international guest chefs to reinterpret Rogaland's finest products. Among them were chefs from member cities Castelldefels and Wroclaw, demonstrating how culinary collaboration can connect cultures and promote local food heritage.
Food & Fun is a gastronomic festival organised by Gladmat in Stavanger, in the Norwegian region of Rogaland. Launched in 2024, the event is inspired by and connected to the renowned Food & Fun Festival in Reykjavík, Iceland.
The concept is simple but powerful: some of Stavanger’s best restaurants invite guest chefs from across Norway and around the world to collaborate on a special menu created exclusively for the festival. Working side by side, chefs explore the exceptional ingredients of Rogaland (one of Norway’s most fertile agricultural regions) while bringing their own culinary perspectives, techniques, and cultural influences.
This encounter between local products and international creativity lies at the heart of the festival. The result is a unique gastronomic experience where spontaneity, collaboration, and discovery guide the creation of new dishes.
For the 2026 edition, the festival welcomed chefs César Rodríguez Valverde and Manuel Ángel Ortiz Chumillas from Castelldefels (Spain). They collaborated over two evenings with the team at Gaffel & Karaffel, while Chef Kamil Stefanow from Wrocław joined the brigade at Pigalle. Together, they reinterpreted Rogaland’s regional products, combining local traditions with Mediterranean and Central European culinary influences.
For diners, it was an opportunity to taste Rogaland through new lenses; for the chefs, it was an opportunity to learn from one another and expand their culinary horizons.
By connecting chefs, cities, and food cultures, The Food Capitals network encourages collaboration that highlights local ingredients while fostering international understanding. Chefs become ambassadors of their territories, carrying techniques, traditions, and stories from one city to another.
This philosophy will be further developed during the next The Food Capitals Summit 2026, which will take place in Castelldefels from May 18 to 21, 2026.
During the Summit, The Food Capitals will officially launch its Chefs Beyond Borders program. Diverse chefs from member cities across the world will gather in Castelldefels to exchange ideas, share culinary traditions, and take part in activities designed to strengthen collaboration between food capitals.
Photos: ©Gladmat; ©Tord F. Paulsen
