Cheese and pine nut croquette takes Málaga’s Despechá Taberna to the provincial final

A cheese and pine nut croquette has earned Despechá Taberna a place in the final of the 2026 Málaga Croquette Championship. The restaurant, located in the Soho district of Málaga city, will compete on Monday 26 October against other selected establishments from across the province.

The dish is built around a simple but distinctive combination: cheese and pine nuts.

Despechá announced its qualification on 13 October and confirmed that the croquette is still available at the restaurant, meaning customers can try the same recipe that will be presented to the competition jury.

For now, the achievement is a place in the final. The restaurant has not yet won the championship or secured a position in the final ranking.

Despechá Taberna will represent Málaga’s Soho

Despechá is located at 28 Calle Trinidad Grund, close to the historic centre and the Soho cultural district.

The restaurant is particularly known for its focus on almadraba bluefin tuna, but its place in the croquette final puts the spotlight on another side of its menu.

Instead of choosing a highly traditional filling such as ham or stew, the restaurant has entered a version based on cheese and pine nuts.

The combination gives the dish a more distinctive identity while keeping the familiar structure of a classic Spanish croquette.

Cheese and pine nuts take centre stage

The restaurant has not published the full recipe or exact proportions used.

It has, however, highlighted the importance of the filling, coating and frying process.

That is where a seemingly simple croquette becomes technically demanding.

The centre needs to remain creamy while still holding its shape, and the coating must be crisp enough to protect the filling during frying.

Oil temperature, coating thickness and the texture of the mixture all play an important part in the final result.

The finalist croquette is available at the restaurant

One of the key rules of the competition is that participating restaurants cannot create a one-off recipe exclusively for the event.

The official rules state that the croquette entered in the championship must be the same as the one normally served by the restaurant, either as part of the menu or available to order.

Despechá meets that condition by continuing to offer its cheese and pine nut version to customers.

This means diners can try the competition entry for themselves before or after the final.

When is the Málaga Croquette Championship final?

The final is scheduled for Monday 26 October 2026, starting at 10:45 am.

The competition will take place at La Sala de Galera in Torremolinos.

The venue has previously hosted other gastronomic competitions linked to Media&Chef.

During the morning, finalists will prepare their croquettes according to the conditions established by the organisers.

Competitors have one hour to finish their croquettes

The rules give each participant a maximum of one hour to have their croquettes ready.

Restaurants do not need to prepare every stage from scratch at the venue.

They may arrive with part of the preparation completed and use the kitchen at La Sala de Galera to finish shaping and frying the croquettes.

Each finalist must also bring their own oil, ingredients and any equipment required for the recipe.

The jury will not know which restaurant made each croquette

One of the most important features of the championship is its blind tasting format.

The croquettes will be served on anonymous plates without logos, names or other identifying elements.

This means the jury should not know which restaurant has prepared each entry while scoring it.

Each judge will submit an individual score, and the combined results will determine the final ranking.

The system is designed to ensure that the dish itself, rather than the reputation of the restaurant, is the focus of the assessment.

A second croquette will be used for photography

Although the competition tasting is anonymous, each participant must also prepare a separate croquette for photography and promotional purposes.

For that version, restaurants may use their own tableware and branding.

This allows the organisers to keep the judging process separate from media and social media coverage.

Five awards are available

The Málaga Croquette Championship includes five different awards.

The three main prizes are:

• Gold Croquette
• Silver Croquette
• Bronze Croquette

There are also two special awards.

One recognises the croquette with the strongest Málaga flavour, particularly where local or traditional provincial ingredients are used.

The other is the La Sala de Galera Favourite Croquette, selected by the host venue.

Málaga ingredients have their own award

The existence of a specific prize linked to Málaga products gives the competition a strong local identity.

Restaurants can be recognised for incorporating ingredients connected with the province.

That could include local cheeses, cured meats, agricultural products or other regional foods.

A croquette may also potentially receive both a main prize and one of the special awards.

A jury connected to Málaga gastronomy

The tasting will be chaired by Leonor García-Agua, director of Sabor a Málaga.

According to the competition rules, the jury will include professionals linked to gastronomy, such as chefs, food journalists, critics and other specialists.

Each member will score the entries separately.

The combined points will then determine the winners.

The championship reaches its third edition

The competition, organised by Media&Chef, reaches its third edition in Málaga in 2026.

The format focuses entirely on croquettes and brings together restaurants selected by the organisers.

Participation is by invitation and is aimed at hospitality professionals from Málaga city and province who regularly make homemade croquettes.

From home cooking staple to restaurant dish

The croquette occupies a particular place in Spanish gastronomy.

It began as a dish closely linked to home cooking and using leftovers, but today it can be found everywhere from traditional tapas bars to fine-dining restaurants.

Ham, chicken and stew fillings now sit alongside seafood, fish, cheese, vegetable and more creative versions.

That versatility makes the croquette particularly suitable for competitions where each restaurant can give a familiar dish its own identity.

Despechá moves away from the most traditional versions

The cheese and pine nut combination fits that more creative approach.

It keeps the traditional croquette format while changing the filling to create a different flavour profile.

Cheese provides richness and creaminess, while pine nuts can add texture and a lightly toasted note.

Without the full recipe, however, the real test will be how those elements work together when the croquette reaches the jury.

A restaurant known for bluefin tuna

Despechá Taberna has built much of its menu around almadraba bluefin tuna.

Its offer includes different preparations of the fish, ranging from raw dishes to cooked versions.

The menu also features a more informal tapas section, where croquettes sit alongside other small plates.

Its qualification for the championship brings attention to a part of the restaurant’s offer that may be less familiar than its tuna dishes.

A central location in Málaga

The restaurant is located at 28 Calle Trinidad Grund, in the Soho district and only a short walk from Alameda Principal and the historic centre.

The area has developed into one of Málaga city’s main cultural and food districts.

Its location also makes the finalist croquette easy to include as part of a wider tapas or restaurant route around central Málaga.

The final result is still to come

There is one important distinction ahead of the championship: Despechá is a finalist, not a winner.

The restaurant’s announcement confirms only that it has qualified for the final stage.

The final result will depend on the blind tasting on 26 October.

Until then, describing it as “Málaga’s best croquette” would be premature.

Why blind tasting matters

The anonymous format is intended to limit the influence of each restaurant’s reputation.

Because judges do not know who prepared each plate, they cannot score based on previous experience with the business or its name.

The croquette arrives without branding.

Only after the scoring process are the results linked back to the participating restaurants.

This is a common method in food competitions designed to keep attention on the product itself.

Frying could make the difference

Even when the filling is prepared in advance, one of the most delicate stages remains: frying.

The rules allow competitors to arrive with part of the preparation already completed, but the final cooking is carried out at the competition venue.

This means finalists need to control oil temperature, timing and the behaviour of the coating in a kitchen other than their own.

A small difference can affect both the texture of the centre and the crispness of the exterior.

From a Soho kitchen to a provincial final

For Despechá, qualification means taking one of its regular menu items into a competitive setting.

The same croquette served to customers on Calle Trinidad Grund will be presented anonymously alongside entries from other restaurants across Málaga province.

That is one of the main attractions of the format.

The judges are not assessing a recipe created only to impress at a competition, but a dish that genuinely forms part of the restaurant’s everyday offer.

A popular dish becomes the focus of Málaga’s food scene

Málaga now hosts a growing number of competitions dedicated to individual dishes.

Russian salad, croquettes and other popular recipes have become the focus of events bringing together restaurants with very different styles.

As well as awarding prizes, these competitions help highlight dishes that remain a regular part of everyday bar and restaurant culture.

In this case, the croquette becomes the main attraction for an entire morning.

Where to try Despechá’s finalist croquette

Anyone who wants to try the recipe before the championship results are announced can do so at the restaurant itself.

Despechá Taberna
28 Calle Trinidad Grund
Soho, Málaga

The restaurant confirms that its finalist cheese and pine nut croquette remains part of its regular offer.

The winner will be decided on 26 October

The next key date is therefore Monday 26 October.

That is when Despechá’s cheese and pine nut croquette will face the blind tasting alongside the other finalists.

Gold, Silver and Bronze awards will be decided afterwards, together with the two special prizes.

Until then, Despechá already has one clear achievement: placing one of its regular dishes among those selected to compete in the 2026 Málaga Croquette Championship final.