Menorca, the great absentee from Prohens’ “star-studded” meeting

The recent meeting promoted by the president of the Balearic Government, Marga Prohens, with some of the most renowned chefs in the Islands has once again highlighted an uncomfortable reality: Menorca remains invisible in the major institutional narratives of Balearic gastronomy.

The meeting, held at the Consolat de Mar and presented as a strategic space to define the future of the sector, brought together exclusively chefs linked to Michelin-starred restaurants or with strong media projection. None of them, however, came from Menorca. This absence is neither accidental nor anecdotal, but rather the reflection of a model that equates quality and excellence solely with the labels of major international guides.

This approach leaves out an essential part of the Balearic gastronomic fabric. Menorca, with a strong culinary tradition, high-quality local produce and a generation of proven talented chefs, currently has no Michelin stars. But this does not imply, in any way, a lack of quality. On the contrary: many professionals on the island work with rigor, creativity and deep roots in the territory, often offering proposals as authentic—or even more so—than those of awarded establishments.

The issue lies in the selection criteria. If institutional representation is built only on external recognition, territorial imbalance is perpetuated and a biased narrative is reinforced, one that penalizes islands such as Menorca. Gastronomy is not only about stars, but also about identity, sustainability and territorial cohesion.

Several voices within the sector have privately expressed their discomfort with this exclusion, considering it a missed opportunity to showcase the real diversity of Balearic cuisine. “You cannot talk about a national gastronomic model while leaving out an entire island,” sources point out.

This situation calls for deep reflection: what model does the Government want to promote? One based on international visibility and big names, or one that integrates the whole territory and values talent beyond labels?

Meanwhile, Menorca continues to cook in silence. Without Michelin stars, but with its own light—one that institutions, for now, seem unwilling to see.