Call for Entries: 2026 Rural Gastronomic Brooches

The Gastronomy Academy of Castilla-La Mancha has announced the 2026 edition of the Gastronomic Brooches of the Rural Environment, an annual distinction that recognizes the cuisine of restaurants located in sparsely populated areas or areas at risk of depopulation within the region. The call for applications was made public through the Resolution of 08/20/2026 of the Vice-Ministry of Culture and Sports, published in the Official Gazette of Castilla-La Mancha (DOCM) number 164, dated August 27, 2026, with the official reference [2026/6282].

The distinction was born during the Academy Plenary held on November 27, 2019, and this year’s call was agreed upon in the Plenary of June 23, 2026. The entity was created by Decree 256/2019, of October 22, with the purpose of studying, disseminating, and safeguarding the gastronomic cultural heritage of Castilla-La Mancha, and among its functions is the organization of contests that promote and improve regional cuisine.

Requirements and evaluation criteria

Candidate establishments must be located in sparsely populated areas or areas at risk of depopulation, in accordance with Decree 108/2021, of October 19, and the typology of Article 11 of Law 2/2021, of May 7, on Measures against Depopulation. Both the establishment and the kitchen and dining room are evaluated:

Attractive rural environment, accessibility, comfort, and hygiene.
Use of foods with quality seals, PDO, PGI, and TSG designations, and the 100% native breed logo.
Products registered under the Campo y Alma guarantee brand and local foods or direct sales.
Territorial cuisine, recipes linked to the territory, and traditional stews.
Proper care of wine and the cellar, and integration into the rural territory.

Deadline, submission, and jury

The deadline for submitting candidacies is two months counted from date to date starting the day after publication in the DOCM. Any member of the Academy or the restaurant itself may submit a candidacy using the standardized form (Annex I) and the supporting documentation:

By postal mail to Recoletos street number 1, 45001 Toledo.
By email to secretaria@academiagastronomiaclm.com.

The juries will be composed of the Full Academics of each province, who will conduct the first evaluation before its approval in the Plenary. The decision of the Academic Plenary is final and no appeal may be filed against it.

Prize endowment

One Brooch will be awarded for each of the five provinces of Castilla-La Mancha. The prize has no monetary value and consists of:

A handcrafted ceramic piece from Talavera de la Reina and Puente del Arzobispo in the shape of a traditional stew pot.
A ceramic plaque with the Broche logo to be placed on the establishment’s door.
An accrediting diploma signed by the President and the Secretary of the Academy.
The inclusion of the restaurant in the network of Broches Gastronómicos del Medio Rural restaurants.

The resolution is signed by the Vice-Minister of Culture and Sports, Carmen Teresa Olmedo Pedrache, and the call for applications by the President of the Academy, José María San Román Águila, and the Secretary, Ángel Ramírez Ludeña.

The call represents a direct boost to rural hospitality across the five provinces by highlighting restaurants that keep traditional cuisine alive in territories threatened by depopulation. Beyond the symbolic recognition, inclusion in the Academy’s network turns the awardees into ambassadors of a gastronomy that is, simultaneously, cultural heritage and a tool for rural development.

Source: Official Gazette of Castilla-La Mancha (DOCM), no. 164, August 27, 2026, section III (Other provisions and acts), pp. 31077-31082 (official reference: 2026/6282).