José Carlos Capel and Benjamín Lana, president and vice-president of Madrid Fusión appeared on stage, and the lights dimmed. It was time to celebrate the congress's 20th anniversary. The two of them took the microphone and recalled how Madrid Fusión had expanded alongside a group of chefs it had promoted and assisted, giving them a voice and opening doors for them, as confirmed subsequently by the chefs who soon appeared on stage too. Among others, Gastón Acurio, Albert Adrià, Joan Roca and Álex Atala, chefs whom the congress, as José Carlos Capel said, "has accompanied".

“For Peru-said Acurio- Madrid Fusión was a decisive showcase. It was here that many people found out about the country's produce and gastronomy. It opened us up to diversity and made us share", said the South American genius who arrived at the congress for the first time on its third round (2006). This was echoed by Joan Roca, who has been at a dozen MFs. “Madrid Fusión has helped us generate community, share, and prove that gastronomy is a powerful tool of transformation, which today is more necessary than ever before to generate peace", said the Girona chef to applause from the auditorium.

Those were only two examples. There were more, such as Albert Adrià, who was at the very first MF congress; Eneko Atxa, and Alex Atala (D.O.M, Brazil), who was there for the first time in 2005, ten years before his D.O.M. earned its two Michelin stars. “My professional life has a before and after following my attendance of Madrid Fusión. I hope it continues to open up doors for the future generations”, said the Brazilian chief, seconded on stage by maestros of gastronomy and of the congress such as Ricard Camarena, Oriol Castro, Eduard Xatruch, Quique Dacosta, Elena Arzak, Rodrigo de la Calle, Diego Guerrero, Andoni Luis Aduriz, Jesús Sánchez, Mario Sandoval, Pedro Subijana, Atsushi Tanaka, Paco Pérez, Francis Paniego, Aitor Arregi and Sacha Ormaechea.

Rene Redzepi was not on stage because he had not yet arrived, but tomorrow he will be one of the 2022 congress's star speakers. The Danish chef is another of the paradigmatic examples of what Madrid Fusión means, because he was there in 2008, five years before he opened Noma, and just after publishing the “Manifesto for New Nordic Cuisine”. “He always said that being at the congress had an effect on his career", said Capel. Redzepi was there in 2008, two years before his restaurant was declared the world's best, taking over from Ferran Adrià, another recurring patron of the congress, where he announced the closure of elBulli to the world in 2011.

The birthday party, with some twenty chefs on stage, shared out the yuzu and African vanilla cake made by Paco Torreblanca. “To 20 more years”. “Thanks, Madrid Fusión”.