Basque Chefs to Honor Mikel Bustinza at Gastronomy Event in Dima

The fifth Basque Gastronomy Encounter on June 8th will pay tribute to the influential chef Mikel Bustinza of Horma Ondo, recognizing his career and impact.

Generic image of a Basque Country landscape.
IA

Generic image of a Basque Country landscape.

The fifth Basque Gastronomy Encounter, scheduled for June 8th at the Garena restaurant in Dima, will feature a special tribute to Mikel Bustinza, the spirit behind the Horma Ondo restaurant.

The main event, titled Erreoi aitortza: Mikel Bustinza, will take place at 1:45 PM and will include "a moment to remember and recognize Mikel Bustinza, from Horma Ondo, for his career and the mark he has left on Basque gastronomy".
Juan, a close acquaintance of Bustinza, stated during the presentation, "Mikel was a person I cared for deeply. I have great memories. I simply want to say that this is a space from the heart, and all of us who were close to him will remember him".
The Biscayan chef Bustinza tragically passed away on January 20th in a traffic accident on the BI-3334 road near Amorebieta.
The event will gather approximately 300 industry professionals—including chefs, producers, farmers, wineries, artisans, and institutions—to discuss how to build a more sustainable, conscious, and land-linked Basque gastronomy. Participants will include figures such as Fernando Velázquez, Paul Urkijo, Jon Maia, Oreka TX, and gastronomic projects like AMA, DStage, Hika, Arrea, and Maskarada.
The encounter will focus on issues such as land stewardship, biodiversity, resource utilization, and the relationship with the primary sector. Manuel Gómez of BISUBI emphasized that Basque gastronomy belongs "to a people and a shared memory," and highlighted this edition's "secret ingredient": the affection of those who cook collectively.