The festival
Gastronomy, culture and tradition
The Botillo festival is one of the most relevant gastronomic events of northern Spain and it is also considered a Festival of National Tourist Interest in the country.
Bembibre’s Botillo Festival have been an annual gastronomic and cultural event since 1973. It enlightens the bond of this village population with this meat-stuffed pork intestine preparation.
Botillo is a meat-stuffed dish typical from the county of El Bierzo, in the Spanish province of León. Its main ingredients are the pork ribs and tail. It can also include the pig’s tongue, cheeks, shoulder blade, and backbone, but never exceeding 20% of the total volume.
Botillo is a kind of embutido (cold meat) normally consumed in the winter season for its high amount of calories. It is a product that has remained in popular culture as an emblematic food and tradition coming from the ancestors of the region.
Nowadays, this product is endorsed by the official logo of the Protected Geographical Indication. A sales description that certifies its quality of production in a specific area, which coincides with the limits of El Bierzo county.
With this background, the celebration of Bembibre’s National Festival for the Exaltation of Botillo keeps its popular culture with the elation of this delicacy in a party that has become one of the most important gastronomic events in north-western Spain. Not surprisingly, botillo has the capacity to bring together more than a thousand people in each edition.
Cultural event and gala dinner
The Festival consists of two parts: on the one hand, the institutional and cultural act, which includes the mantenedor’s (chairperson) speech and, on the other, the tasting of the botillo in a great gala dinner.
The main act also includes the, often musical, performance of groups or artists recognized on the national scene. Bembibre’s Botillo Festival has been attended, among others, by artists such as José Mercé, Bertín Osborne, Café Quijano, Shayla Dúrcal, Carlos Núñez, Diana Navarro, el Consorcio, etc.
After dinner, the event finishes with a ball to end this celebration that continues to gain followers every year.
Gastronomy, culture and tradition
The Botillo festival is one of the most relevant gastronomic events of northern Spain and it is also considered a Festival of National Tourist Interest in the country.
Bembibre’s Botillo Festival have been an annual gastronomic and cultural event since 1973. It enlightens the bond of this village population with this meat-stuffed pork intestine preparation.
Botillo is a meat-stuffed dish typical from the county of El Bierzo, in the Spanish province of León. Its main ingredients are the pork ribs and tail. It can also include the pig’s tongue, cheeks, shoulder blade, and backbone, but never exceeding 20% of the total volume.
Botillo is a kind of embutido (cold meat) normally consumed in the winter season for its high amount of calories. It is a product that has remained in popular culture as an emblematic food and tradition coming from the ancestors of the region.
Nowadays, this product is endorsed by the official logo of the Protected Geographical Indication. A sales description that certifies its quality of production in a specific area, which coincides with the limits of El Bierzo county.
With this background, the celebration of Bembibre’s National Festival for the Exaltation of Botillo keeps its popular culture with the elation of this delicacy in a party that has become one of the most important gastronomic events in north-western Spain. Not surprisingly, botillo has the capacity to bring together more than a thousand people in each edition.
The Festival consists of two parts: on the one hand, the institutional and cultural act, which includes the mantenedor’s (chairperson) speech and, on the other, the tasting of the botillo in a great gala dinner.
The main act also includes the, often musical, performance of groups or artists recognized on the national scene. Bembibre’s Botillo Festival has been attended, among others, by artists such as José Mercé, Bertín Osborne, Café Quijano, Shayla Dúrcal, Carlos Núñez, Diana Navarro, el Consorcio, etc.
After dinner, the event finishes with a ball to end this celebration that continues to gain followers every year.
Mantenedores (Chairpeople)
Latest editions of the Festival
Chairpeople in the latest editions
News
A Record-Breaking Botillo Festival to Celebrate the Golden Anniversary of the Grandest Gastronomic Event
The Gala of the National Festival of Botillo Exaltation in Bembibre paid homage, with all honors, to its most emblematic sausage. And it featured a pavilion filled with an audience from the very beginning and a record-breaking dinner. Both the mayor, Silvia Cao, and the councilor for Culture, Festivities, Tourism, [...]
“El onírico entomólogo”, by Javier Abelardo González Quintana from Palencia, receives the award for the literary contest of Botillo
The Jury of the Literary Contest of the National Festival of Botillo Exaltation in Bembibre, which met extraordinarily last Friday, has chosen the story "El onírico entomólogo", by Javier Abelardo González Quintana (Palencia, 1969), as the winner of this edition. González Quintana is a member of the Body of Procedural [...]
The XII Jornadas de Pinchos del Botillo (Pinchos Days) have their winners
The 'Botillo 2.3' pintxo by O Pulpeiro has taken the first prize in the Botillo Pintxos Days, according to the evaluation of the jury that met this very evening. After the decision, the awards ceremony took place for the top six finalists of this twelfth edition of the competition. The [...]
The ONCE coupon promotes the 50th Anniversary of the National Festival of Botillo Exaltation in Bembibre
The ONCE coupon for Saturday, February 11th, features the 50th Anniversary of the National Festival of Botillo Exaltation, celebrated in Bembibre on that date. Five and a half million coupons will spread awareness of this event in the Bierzo region, declared a National Tourist Interest Festival. […]
Bembibre will be present at FITUR on the occasion of the 50th anniversary of the Botillo Festival
The Bembibre City Council will be present at the International Tourism Fair (FITUR) 2023, and will do so by promoting the town through the Bembibre’s National Festival for the Exaltation of Botillo […]
The Bembibre City Council encourages participation in the XII Jornadas de Pinchos del Botillo (Pinchos Days)
Next Friday, January 20, restaurateurs who so wish may formalize their registration in the Jornadas de Pinchos del Botillo (Pinchos Days), which include the characteristic Pinchos Contest to recognize the best creations made with the typical sausage from Berciano. This twelfth edition has as novelties the economic contribution of 100 [...]
Registration is open to participate in the Bembibre Farm and Food Fair
The Municipal Festival Board has opened the registration period to participate in the Villa of Bembibre Farm and Food Fair, which will take place in the Bembibre Arena pavilion on February 10th, 11th and 12th, coinciding with the Bembibre’s National Festival for the Exaltation of Botillo. […]
The tickets for the Bembibre’s Botillo Festival dinner were sold out on line
The first 1,200 tickets for the dinner of the Bembibre’s National Festival of the Botillo´s Exaltation were sold out in less than two hours. […]
Videos
FEBRUARY 3, 2024
News
A Record-Breaking Botillo Festival to Celebrate the Golden Anniversary of the Grandest Gastronomic Event
The Gala of the National Festival of Botillo Exaltation in Bembibre paid homage, with all honors, to its most emblematic sausage. And it featured a pavilion filled with an audience from the very beginning and a record-breaking dinner. Both the mayor, Silvia Cao, and the councilor for Culture, Festivities, Tourism, [...]
“El onírico entomólogo”, by Javier Abelardo González Quintana from Palencia, receives the award for the literary contest of Botillo
The Jury of the Literary Contest of the National Festival of Botillo Exaltation in Bembibre, which met extraordinarily last Friday, has chosen the story "El onírico entomólogo", by Javier Abelardo González Quintana (Palencia, 1969), as the winner of this edition. González Quintana is a member of the Body of Procedural [...]
The XII Jornadas de Pinchos del Botillo (Pinchos Days) have their winners
The 'Botillo 2.3' pintxo by O Pulpeiro has taken the first prize in the Botillo Pintxos Days, according to the evaluation of the jury that met this very evening. After the decision, the awards ceremony took place for the top six finalists of this twelfth edition of the competition. The [...]
The ONCE coupon promotes the 50th Anniversary of the National Festival of Botillo Exaltation in Bembibre
The ONCE coupon for Saturday, February 11th, features the 50th Anniversary of the National Festival of Botillo Exaltation, celebrated in Bembibre on that date. Five and a half million coupons will spread awareness of this event in the Bierzo region, declared a National Tourist Interest Festival. […]
Bembibre will be present at FITUR on the occasion of the 50th anniversary of the Botillo Festival
The Bembibre City Council will be present at the International Tourism Fair (FITUR) 2023, and will do so by promoting the town through the Bembibre’s National Festival for the Exaltation of Botillo […]
The Bembibre City Council encourages participation in the XII Jornadas de Pinchos del Botillo (Pinchos Days)
Next Friday, January 20, restaurateurs who so wish may formalize their registration in the Jornadas de Pinchos del Botillo (Pinchos Days), which include the characteristic Pinchos Contest to recognize the best creations made with the typical sausage from Berciano. This twelfth edition has as novelties the economic contribution of 100 [...]
