“For the first time, we are going to do something unprecedented in the Azores”, said the president of the Agricultural Federation of the Azores, Jorge Rita.

The association leader, who also chairs the Regional Strategy Centre for Meat in the Azores (CERCA), was speaking at a press conference to present the programme, at the fairgrounds, in Campo de Santana, in the municipality of Ribeira Grande.

The Azores Beef Fest will include a masterclass for professionals in butchers, a workshop for producers and the first Barbecue Festival in the Azores, at the Santana agricultural market.

Organised by the Regional Strategy Centre for Meat in the Azores (CERCA) and the Agricultural Federation of the Azores, in partnership with the Government of the Azores and associations in the sector, the four-day event will feature the participation of seven chefs specialising in meat preparation, from the mainland, Brazil and the Azores, who will give a demonstration of how to prepare cuts of beef for grilling.

"The initiative will serve as a shock for everyone to realise the importance of meat. We can and should take advantage of the marketing that people in the region can do for our meat by enjoying tasting it here, especially tourism, and with positive repercussions replicated in the economy of the archipelago", stressed Jorge Rita.

On the 7th and 8th of September, the festival will feature four barbecue stations, with grilled dishes available from 12:00 to 22:00.

Tickets for the barbecue festival can be purchased online, with a unit price of 40 euros per day.