CANDÁS is holding the Sardine Festival
The CANDÁS Sardine Festival closes the St. Félix festivities

It has been two years since CANDÁS was able to celebrate its Sardine Festival, a festival of Regional Tourist Interest. Yesterday, the fifty-first edition came to an end. It brought together numerous diners in the traditional St. Antonio meadows, where 3,500 kilos of sardines and, of course, the odd glass of cider were served, bringing the St. Félix festivities, which have once again filled the streets with revellers, to a close
At five o'clock in the afternoon, the grills of the six participating restaurants were fired up: Bar Sidrería Nordeste, Restaurante Casa Repinaldo, Bar La Marina, Rte. El Diañu, Restaurante El Portalón and Café Principado. The St. Antonio Meadow became the perfect venue to enjoy this delicacy, gradually filling up with diners who did not want to miss this popular festival
Throughout the day, the winners of the gastronomic competition were announced, with Pedro Morán from Casa Gerardo on the jury. Eduardo Méndez Riestra, author and president of the Asturian Academy of Gastronomy, Abel Terente from El Asador de Abel, Luis Alberto Martínez from Casa Fermín, Juan Rivero from Casa Tataguyo and María Fernández Méndez from Mesón El Centro
This year the 'Golden Sardine' was awarded to Casa Repinaldo, and the 'Silver Sardine' was shared between La Marina de Luanco and El Portalón
As in previous years, the English park was packed, and several personalities from the cultural and political sphere and from the regional and national media were also present
The MEP, Jonás Fernández Álvarez, expressed his enthusiasm for supporting the festival once again this year: Every year, we come to CANDÁS to savour the best sardines of the season. He also expressed his wish that the festival should be designated a Festivity of National Tourist Interest. (listen to audio)
Melania Álvarez García, Councillor for Social Rights and Welfare, also joined the celebration: After two difficult years, we are bringing back the Sardine Festival in CANDÁS. She wanted to acknowledge the difficult task the jury had in choosing the best sardine: We would like to acknowledge the work of the jury, who have had a difficult year once again and who have highlighted the quality of this typical product from CANDÁS, which undoubtedly makes this festival deserving of being designated as a Festival of National Tourist Interest. (listen to audio)
Other people who also enjoyed the sardines and cider were the Director General of Agriculture and Fisheries of the Government Delegation, Enrique Rodríguez Nuño; the Director General of Rural Infrastructures and Forestry of the Government of the Principality, Fernando Prendes; the Naval Commander of Asturias, Mr Luis Vicente Márquez Montero; Marta Alonso Guijarro, Mayor of Ponga; Gerardo Sanz Pérez, Mayor of Llanera; Saúl Bastian Montequin, Mayor of Sariego and the mayor of Bimenes, Aitor García Corte.