Hilario Lagun and the Gastronomic Community Honor Hilario Arbelaitz at Basque Culinary Center
Hilario Arbelaitz has received recognition for his extensive career leading the kitchen at Zuberoa in an emotional tribute offered by the gastronomic community of Euskadi and Basque Culinary Center.
After 52 years of dedication to gastronomy, Hilario Arbelaitz and the Arbelaitz family have bid a final farewell to the kitchen of the Zuberoa Restaurant (Oiartzun), leaving an indelible mark on the culinary history of the region. Therefore, Basque Culinary Center has gathered friends, colleagues, and those with whom he has shared his journey throughout his career to commemorate some of his most outstanding achievements.
The event brought together more than 250 members of the Basque gastronomic sector, including chefs, producers, entrepreneurs, representatives of the gastronomic industry, media, and institutions, to accompany him in this event.
Hilario was supported by some of the chefs who make up the board of Basque Culinary Center, such as Pedro Subijana, Eneko Atxa, Martin Berasategui, Andoni Luis Aduriz, Diego Guerrero, and Elena Arzak, as well as his disciples and members of the Mahaia Kolektiboa, including Gorka Txapartegi, Dani López, Roberto Ruiz, and Aizpea Oihaneder, and also by students from Basque Culinary Center. During the event, anecdotes and experiences related to Zuberoa and Hilario Arbelaitz were highlighted.
To complete the tribute, he was presented with two symbols that metaphorically represent the territory, through a sculpture by Ramón Roteta, and the legacy, through a chef's jacket signed by a Basque Culinary Center student.
As Joxe Mari Aizega, the center's director, stated, "Hilario Arbelaitz, in addition to being a fundamental figure in the history of Basque Culinary Center, is a true reference in Basque gastronomy. He is a chef who has known how to respect tradition, products, flavors, and techniques, evolving them while maintaining that respect and connection to the traditional cuisine of the region. Today, we don't want to simply pay tribute, but to celebrate a gathering of friends to remember, to talk, and to end by toasting to Hilario and Zuberoa. We want to express our gratitude for the dedication, commitment, and passion of this great master, who is now respected, admired, and recognized by the entire sector."
Additionally, the Minister of Economic Development, Sustainability, and the Environment, Arantxa Tapia, dedicated commemorative words to him, and Basque culture and music also had their place in the tribute through performances by bertsolari Alaia Martín from Oiartzun and the Eguzkilore Choir of the Brotherhood of Basque Gastronomy.
To conclude the event, chefs from the Mahaia Kolektiboa, Jon Ayala (Laia), Gorka Txapartegi (Alameda), Roberto Ruíz (Hika Gastronomiko), Pablo Loureiro (Casa Urola), Igor Arregi (Kaia), and Ruben Trincado (Mirador de Ulía), offered a cocktail to the attendees.
Hilario Arbelaitz is part of the driving force behind Basque Culinary Center and is one of the reasons the institution opened its doors and has become an international reference. Zuberoa has been a metaphor for unity, territory, craftsmanship, and legacy, and Hilario has been a chef who has left a mark on the sector and the region due to his passion, his humanity, and his commitment to gastronomy. In this context, this event was not intended to be just another tribute but an open gathering of friends and a moment to remember, to converse, and to end by raising a toast to Hilario, Zuberoa, and the Arbelaitz family.