The next generation of chefs in Ibiza is being introduced to a more sustainable approach to professional cooking, with food waste prevention becoming part of their practical training.

The Escola d’Hoteleria de les Illes Balears (EHIB) hosted a new Zero Food Waste® showcooking on 2 October 2026, bringing professional chefs into the classroom to demonstrate practical ways of making better use of ingredients and managing kitchen resources more efficiently.

The session was aimed at students studying Cooking and Pastry and continues a collaboration between the hospitality school and the Zero Food Waste® project that began during the 2025-26 academic year.

Learning From Professional Chefs

The latest session was led by Carlos Fernández-Valdés, executive chef of Grupo Amante, and Jordi Tomás, head chef.

They shared techniques and practical experience focused on making better use of food throughout the cooking process, while also looking at how professional kitchens can manage their resources more efficiently.

Rather than treating food waste as simply an environmental issue, the programme connects waste prevention with everyday kitchen management, including purchasing, preparation and the handling of surplus food.

For students preparing to enter Ibiza’s hospitality industry, the aim is to make these practices part of their professional skill set from the beginning.

From the Classroom to the Professional Kitchen

Zero Food Waste® is designed to move beyond general awareness and give future hospitality professionals practical knowledge that can be applied in their working lives.

Planning purchases carefully can help prevent unnecessary surplus before ingredients even reach the kitchen. Once products are being used, making the most of ingredients and managing preparation processes can further reduce what is discarded.

The programme also addresses the management of food surpluses, helping students understand how different stages of kitchen operations can influence the amount of food that ultimately becomes waste.

Grupo Amante Brings Industry Experience to Students

Grupo Amante is part of the Zero Food Waste® initiative, allowing its experience in food-waste prevention to be brought directly into the classroom.

This year, Amante, Aiyanna and Mangiamo have joined the initiative with commitments covering areas including purchasing, food utilisation in the kitchen and the management of surpluses.

The involvement of hospitality businesses gives students the opportunity to see how sustainability principles can be applied in real professional environments rather than only being studied as theory.

A Collaboration That Began Last Academic Year

The 2 October showcooking builds on work carried out between EHIB and Zero Food Waste® during the 2025-26 academic year.

During that period, practical content relating to food-waste reduction and the comprehensive use of ingredients began to be incorporated into the training of Cooking and Pastry students.

The continuation of the programme means food-waste prevention is becoming part of an ongoing educational approach rather than a one-off awareness activity.

Why Food Waste Matters to Ibiza’s Hospitality Industry

Hospitality is an important part of Ibiza's economy, making professional kitchens a relevant area for food-waste prevention.

Reducing unnecessary waste can also mean using ingredients and other resources more efficiently. For restaurants and hospitality businesses, that links environmental responsibility with day-to-day operational management.

The Zero Food Waste® project works with businesses, public administrations, educational centres and professionals to encourage prevention at source and the adoption of better practices.

Its approach is based on collaboration rather than focusing on a single part of the food chain.

New Rules for Preventing Food Waste

The educational work also takes place against the backdrop of Spain's Law 1/2025 on the Prevention of Food Loss and Food Waste.

Approved on 1 April 2025, the law establishes a framework for preventing and reducing food losses and waste across the food chain, including hospitality and catering. It places prevention at the top of its hierarchy and includes measures concerning the management of surplus food.

The legislation also provides for public authorities to promote awareness, good practices, training and measures aimed at preventing food waste.

This makes the preparation of future hospitality professionals an increasingly relevant part of the wider effort to change how food is purchased, prepared, consumed and managed.

Public and Private Sectors Working Together

The showcooking was also attended by representatives of several Ibiza administrations.

Those present included Ignacio José Andrés Roselló, Consell d’Eivissa councillor for Environmental Management, Sustainability, Innovation and Transparency; Jordi Grivé, councillor for the Environment at Ibiza Town Hall; Felicia Bocu, councillor for the Environment at Sant Josep de sa Talaia Town Hall; and Josefa Torres, councillor for the Environment at Sant Antoni de Portmany Town Hall.

Their participation reflects the project's collaborative model, bringing together public administrations, hospitality businesses, educational institutions and professionals.

Building a Less Wasteful Future for Ibiza’s Kitchens

Zero Food Waste® is an initiative promoted by Grupo Herbusa that works to prevent and reduce food waste in Ibiza through training, awareness, advice and collaboration.

Its work covers areas including hospitality, tourism, food businesses, public administrations and education, with an emphasis on preventing waste before it is generated.

For the students now preparing to enter Ibiza's kitchens, that means learning that good cooking is not only about what ends up on the plate. It is also about planning carefully, using ingredients responsibly and understanding how professional kitchen decisions affect the amount of food that goes to waste.

By bringing these principles into hospitality education, Ibiza is giving its future chefs practical tools to make food utilisation part of the way they cook from the very beginning.