- María Llompart Bibiloni, Director of the Escola d’Hosteleria de les Illes Balears, talks about trends, learning, and ambitious cuisine.
Japanese and Korean cuisine, fusion buffets, meticulously crafted miniatures… Today’s gastronomy is a constant blend of cultures, techniques, and formats. And demand, far from declining, continues to grow. “What attracts the most now is novelty. Japanese or Korean cooking workshops fill up quickly. We’ve even had to repeat some,” explains María Llompart Bibiloni, director of the Escola d’Hosteleria de les Illes Balears (EHIB).
The phenomenon is no coincidence. Llompart links it to the cultural moment we are living in: “Asian cuisine is trending. People want to try new flavors, to experiment with unfamiliar kitchens. But all of this is cyclical. What succeeds today may lose interest tomorrow. That’s why we adapt our workshops based on what we detect the market is looking for,” she explains. “When we design the continuing education offerings, we always consider trends and try to respond to what truly interests people at that time.”
Chefs like Andreu Genestra, Maca de Castro, or pastry chef Lluís Pérez trained here. We have many alumni with acclaimed restaurants.
In addition to these courses, EHIB offers its own degrees such as Specialist in Haute Cuisine, Specialist in Kitchen and Restaurant Services, Restaurant and Bar Management, Higher Technician in Tourist Accommodation Management, and Bachelor in Hotel Management. “Next academic year, we’re taking a step further and converting the Specialist in Kitchen and Restaurant Services course into a vocational degree,” Llompart adds.
Gastronomy training in Mallorca
Located on the campus of the Universitat de les Illes Balears (UIB), the school moves between university education and professional training, and its culinary vocation is reflected in real cooking spaces. One of them is the Miramar restaurant, much more than a practical classroom: an à la carte restaurant, open to the public, where students rotate between kitchen and dining room as if they were working in a private establishment. And with outstanding results.
Last year, Miramar was included in the Top 100 best-rated restaurants in Spain on the TheFork platform. Ranked 95th, it shares the list with some of the most renowned names in national gastronomy. “Being there is a source of pride,” says Llompart. The kitchen, led by teachers and executed by students, offers mid-to-high-level menus with dishes such as smoked octopus with duo of purées, creamy mushroom rice, or lamb ribs with braised fennel bulb. “All made with fresh, local ingredients, carefully crafted,” she adds.
Flavors that educate
Over the years, some of the most prominent names in Balearic gastronomy have passed through EHIB’s classrooms and kitchens. “Chefs like Andreu Genestra, Maca de Castro, or pastry chef Lluís Pérez trained here. We have many alumni with recognized restaurants,” notes Llompart.
Their journey reflects not only the potential born from training, but also the Balearic context, where the demand for qualified professionals is constant. “Students graduate with job offers. Sometimes they already know where they’ll end up before finishing.”
There are no magic formulas at EHIB, but there is a clear recipe: curiosity, technique, and connection with what the diner wants. A diner who, more than ever today, wants to travel through their palate.
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