The 9th ‘City of Estepona’ World Ham Contest kicks off this Thursday with 65 exhibitors and 200 professional cutters

This gastronomic event, declared ‘Event of Tourist Interest of Andalusia’, will take place from August 8 to 15 on the Paseo Marítimo.

The event includes free concerts every night by artists and groups such as Navajita Plateá, Falete, La Húngara, Los Centellas, Miguel Sáez, Seguridad Social or Los Inhumanos, among others.

The Estepona City Council reports that this Thursday, August 8, will begin on the Paseo Marítimo the IX World Ham Contest ‘Popi’ City of Estepona, an event that puts in value the figure of the ham cutter and has become one of the gastronomic appointments marked in the calendar of the province.

The event, declared a Festival of Tourist Interest in Andalusia, is organized by the professional ham cutter, José María Téllez ‘Popi’ and the City of Estepona, and is sponsored by the brand ‘Sabor a Málaga’ of the Provincial Council of Malaga and the Ministry of Tourism of the Junta de Andalucía.

The aim of this event, which will run until August 15, is to boost, primarily, the ham and pork products sector, and indirectly to other agri-food products of the province. In total, the public will be able to visit 65 exhibitors, with more than 200 professional ham cutters, making up one of the largest tastings of these products in the world. Among this year’s participants will be a dozen producers from Malaga.

The organization’s forecast is that during the eight days of the event the number of visitors will exceed the 500,000 of the eighth edition. From 7:00 p.m. to 2:00 a.m., visitors will be able to purchase Iberian ham and other pork products, as well as cheeses and artisan breads. In addition, they will be able to appreciate live the work of professional ham cutters and taste the freshly cut dishes at a price of only five euros, accompanied by wines with PDO Malaga and Sierras de Malaga, and Malaga beers that will be available at all the bars.

The event is sponsored by the presenter of Canal Sur TV, Eva Ruiz, who will attend the opening on Thursday, August 8, at 21:30 hours, and will feature a performance by Navajita Plateá. Previously, will perform the young singer of only 12 years, Eduardo ‘El Campanero’, winner of the last children’s edition of the TV program ‘Tierra de Talento’. To complete the evening, at 23:30 hours will take the stage Falete.

The ‘Jamón Festival Music’, the entertainment part of the event, will offer free musical performances every day from 23.30 hours. Thus, in addition to the artists who will entertain the evening after the inauguration, from August 9 to 15 will perform Fernando Caro and Saray Jiménez (day 9), Los Centellas (day 10), La Húngara (day 11), Los Inhumanos (day 12), Seguridad Social (day 13), El Callejón and Gloria Bendita (day 14), and Miguel Sáez and Mario Méndez (day 15).