Name: BPR Award 2026 — Official Ceremony
Start: 2026-10-20
Location: HIP – Horeca Professional Expo

An international recognition for the best workplace
learning environments in professional kitchens.

Because culinary excellence is only possible through the work of an entire team.

The BPR Award was created to highlight this other dimension of culinary excellence: best workplace practices in the kitchen.

Most awards in the gastronomic sector focus on evaluating the culinary result: the concept, the menu, the execution of an idea.

At the Culinary Institute of Barcelona (CIB), we believe that is only part of the equation.

Sustained excellence in gastronomy also depends on what happens behind the scenes: how kitchens operate from within, how teams are organised, how daily work unfolds, and what kind of professional environment is built.

Working conditions, learning processes, the transmission of craft, and workplace culture are rarely part of the industry’s recognition criteria — yet for us, they are essential. Talent does not grow in just any environment. Quality cannot be maintained without structure.

Our Value

The BPR Award is an international recognition promoted by the Culinary Institute of Barcelona.

It honours restaurants and high-level gastronomic establishments that stand out not only for their culinary achievements, but for the way they organise kitchen work and lead their teams.

This recognition places the spotlight on the workplace practices that make it possible to build sustainable, respectful, and future-oriented kitchens. We know that when the environment is right, talent flourishes. And in that moment, excellence stops being a single achievement and becomes a culture.

Recognised establishments are selected through a CIB-led approach, based on direct knowledge of the sector, the real experience of students during internships, and the collective evaluation of an internal committee, following previously defined criteria.

The BPR Award is not a gastronomic ranking or a traditional culinary prize, nor does it aim to replace guides or other industry distinctions.

BPR Award it is an international award that broadens our understanding of what excellence in gastronomy means today, recognising those who do things right when no one is watching.

Being a BPR restaurant

How the decision is made

Continuous follow-up with partner restaurants
Structured surveys and feedback from internship professionals
Qualitative reports from academic mentors
Rigorous analysis of workplace and training structures

Who takes part in the decision

CIB Executive Team
CIB Academic Direction
CIB Internships & Placements Department

What is taken into account

Quality of the working environment
Consistency between values and daily practice
Organisation of kitchen operations
Ability to build stable, educational teams
Sustained commitment to best workplace practices

Who can receive the award

Any establishment that has signed a specific internship agreement with CIB and completed at least 1,040 hours of supervised mentoring during the reference period may be eligible for a BPR Award, provided they submit the documentation and evidence requested by the CIB Internships Department.

What does receiving a BPR Award mean?

Beyond innovation and culinary excellence — modern techniques, unique gastronomic concepts, or sustainable practices — being a BPR restaurant means that what no one sees is also of the highest quality.

Receiving a BPR Award includes:

Official BPR Award distinction for use on-site and online
Visibility within the international network of the Culinary Institute of Barcelona
Positioning as a restaurant committed to talent development
Strengthened employer branding
Priority access to students and professional profiles from CIB

What do we mean by “Best Practices”?

At the BPR Award, we speak of best practices to refer to real workplace standards applied within the demanding, fast-paced context of a professional kitchen — practices that are sustained over time and directly impact the quality of learning and the working environment.

Work Organisation

Clear structures, defined roles, and processes that allow teams to work with order and efficiency.

Learning & Mentorship

Environments where learning is not left to improvisation — it is part of everyday life, and knowledge is passed on with intention and guidance.

Transmission of Technique and Craft

Kitchens where expertise is shared, and the craft is taught through hands-on work, with time and purpose.

Team Culture

Professional environments built on respect, collaboration, and shared responsibility.

Professional Development

Kitchens that allow people to grow, take on responsibilities, and evolve within the team.

Long-Term Vision

Practices that care for people and make the project sustainable — gastronomically, and beyond the service itself.

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GANADOR BPR

The winner will be announced soon.

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Official BPR Award 2026 Ceremony

HIP 2026, Madrid

February 2026

The BPR Award 2026 will be officially presented during HIP – Horeca Professional Expo, one of the leading international professional gatherings in the Horeca sector.

The choice of HIP as the setting reflects its professional, international, and cross-sector nature, as well as its ability to bring together key industry leaders around the current challenges facing the sector.

The ceremony will be an institutional event hosted by the Culinary Institute of Barcelona, designed as a space for recognition and reflection on the importance of best workplace practices in professional kitchens.

BPR AND THE CULINARY INSTITUTE OF BARCELONA

At the Culinary Institute of Barcelona, we train the professionals who will lead the kitchens of the future. People who know how to cook, yes — but who also know how to lead teams, manage complex environments, and transform realities. Our educational model is built on creativity, innovation, and a forward-looking mindset, developing both technical excellence and professional attitude, while fostering a positive work culture and the ability to build sustainable projects.

The BPR Award was born from that same conviction. As our students learn what should — and should not — happen in a kitchen, we also want to recognise those who are already doing things right: the restaurants and gastronomic spaces that create environments where people can learn with rigour, work with dignity, and grow with purpose.

This award is not a symbolic gesture. It is a way to expand the impact of our commitment. If we educate the leaders who will change the industry, we must also highlight the places where that transformation is already real.

We believe education is the most powerful tool to transform gastronomy — not just any education, but the kind that changes mindsets, raises standards, and inspires new ways of doing things. The future of the sector begins with how we learn, what we value, and who chooses to do things differently.

Partner with CIB Discover CIB

THE CIBER COMMUNITY

The BPR Award recognises restaurants that are part of the CIBer community — the international network of CIB partner establishments, both nationally and globally.

This community includes more than 200 restaurants across over 25 countries. It is built on trust, collaboration, and a shared commitment to talent development. Each partner restaurant offers not only a space for students to apply their skills, but also a professional culture where they learn how to work, think, innovate, and grow with purpose.

Being a CIBer means representing the four core values of CIB — discipline, transcendence, responsibility, and courage — in every decision, every project, and every corner of the world. Being part of this network means joining a global community shaped by the future of gastronomy, where continuous learning and best workplace practices are the foundations of excellence.

Discover their experiences