Tarragona is hosting the start of the second Lliga del Porc i la Forquilla this Sunday, with restaurants and bars from across the province competing at the Pérgola del Serrallo in the port area. The contest celebrates Catalonia’s traditional esmorzars de forquilla, or fork breakfasts, and runs from June to September before the final in Lleida on 27 September.
According to the organisers, the aim is to recognise Catalonia’s food heritage and the venues that keep these recipes alive. Rafa Gimena, director of the league from Como Pomona, said the competition is meant to pay tribute to this tradition as part of the region’s gastronomic culture, while also honouring the catering businesses that preserve it.
A new feature this year is the addition of popular vote tables in the Catalan final, alongside the professional jury. During each round, participants present their dishes to the judges while the public can enjoy a fork breakfast of their own. The overall winner will receive €1,000 in credit to spend at the BonÀrea online store.
The competition then moves on to community rounds across Catalonia. The Lleida province event is on Sunday 28 June at the Torrelameu Civic Centre, Girona’s round is on Sunday 12 July in Santa Coloma de Farners, and Barcelona’s finalists will meet at Can Luna in La Garriga on Sunday 6 September.
Featured dishes include capipota, carrilleras, meatballs with squid, butifarra amb seques, and cassola del tros. The jury includes journalist Albert Molins, author of Esmorzar de Forquilla (Cossetània, 2025), Jonathan Nuevo from esmorzarsdeforquilla.cat, and sommelier Marta Clot. Journalist and presenter Claudia Raymat will host the semi-finals and final.
The league is organised by the Grup de Sanejament Porcí de Lleida with enogastronomic consultancy Como Pomona. It is backed by BonÀrea and Carviresa, with support from Gust de Lleida, the Diputació de Lleida, the Generalitat de Catalunya, and the councils of Tarragona, Torrelameu, Santa Coloma de Farners, La Garriga and Lleida. Other supporters include Puerto de Tarragona, Ilser Grup and Sanmy soft drinks.
After its first edition in 2025, the competition has also built links with several sport and food groups, including Sibaritas de Girona, Ben Entaulats de Térmens, Esmorzem de Olesa, Noies Esmorzem de Barcelona, Penya Marcel de Barcelona and Coneix Catalunya Esmorzant. Their involvement helps widen the judging pool and keeps the event rooted in local communities.
