Lourdes Plana

A graduate in Optics, Optometry and Contactology, she began he gastronomy career at the Juan Altamiras de Alambique School, where she was both a teacher and a partner. Her links to the world of gastronomy have ballooned ever since. 

She was editor of the magazine Restauradores (1999-2003), and in over twenty years in the gastronomy press she has worked in a number of magazines and radio and television programmes, and her work won her the 2004 Spanish Gastronomy Academy's National Award as best gastronomy journalist.

She has spoken at conferences and round tables at universities and symposiums in relation to the world of tourism and gastronomy. She has also co-authored several Spanish cookery books, such as El buen gusto de España [Spain’s good taste], El desafío de la cocina Española [The challenge of Spanish cuisine], Peces de agua dulce y algo más [Freshwater fishes and a little more], La Enciclopedia del Vino Español [The encyclopaedia of Spanish wine] and Arquitectura y Cocina en Aragón [Architecture and cooking in Aragón], among others.

She was a founding member of the Madrid Fusión International Gastronomy Congress, a leading event in the sector, and also worked as its director until last year she was appointed president of the Royal Gastronomy Academy, the first woman to head up this institution.