Latest Projects

Blanca is a versatile professional with extensive experience in the food industry. Her passion for food goes beyond cooking, as she has also curated events, written articles, co-founded a podcast, given talks and developed promotion strategies. She believes that food is a powerful tool to bring people together and is always looking for new ways to explore this connection.

Substack The Gazpacho Chronicles 2025

The Gazpacho Chronicles is where Spanish food meets film, art, and a dash of adventure.

I’ve spent years working with some of Spain’s best cooking schools, artisan producers, and chefs—tasting my way through the country’s most regions. I have developed courses and talks about Spanish food from Chicago to Dublin. Now, I’m sharing insights in this new Substack. From Almodóvar’s obsession with flan to the secret life of jamón in Spanish art, this is where food gets cinematic, cultural, and sometimes a little chaotic (just like a good tapas bar). Subscribe to become an insider.

Buen provecho.

Art Plate Ireland

Blanca and Santina Kennedy's Art Plate collaboration is a unique project that bridges the gap between the worlds of galleries and food culture in Ireland. They are bringing Irish food history and modern Irish producers to life through art and are collaborating with the National Gallery of Art, Beyond the Pale, Samhain Festival of Food and Culture and Taste of Dublin. This pioneering project is feast for the senses, showcasing the best of Irish art and food culture.

Eat, Drink Spain

Blanca is the "eat" part of Eat Spain, Drink Spain for 2024. In charge of developing the events that will serve to highlight Spain's top food producers from olive oil to ibericos Blanca developed the menus and collaborated on wine pairings. Blanca was also the face of the campaign in various media outlets like the Gloss, Image, Cassie Stokes and Radio Nova's "Morning Glory".

Eat Spain, Drink Spain 2024

Blasta Books 5 Soup 2023

In Blasta Books #5: Soup, authors and Spice Bags podcast co-hosts Blanca Valencia, Dee Laffan and Mei Chin take you on a journey around the globe from the comfort of the communities within Ireland. The soups they have collected reflect individual cultures, memories and tastes, but they are also a reflection of Irish food today and the people behind it. The book was nominated for an Irish Food Writing Award in 2023.

"Soup is a snapshot of who we are today, and what we eat today. It is a mezcla, where Ahmet Dede’s Turkish red lentil soup sits alongside Sasha Shyskina’s recipe for Ukrainian borsch. The book is both a manifesto, and a curriculum, because the authors show a continuum between Myrtle Allen’s watercress soup, and sopa de tortilla from the Dublin food truck El Milagro. We can describe their thesis as exploring both the Continuity of Change, and the Origin of Influence. They describe an Irish food world that is everything, everywhere, all at once, and they tell this story with subtlety and respect. Soup is a jewel, in a bowl." – John and Sally McKenna, McKennas' Guides

DO Rias Baixas

Blanca has extensive experience working with Spanish food and drink producers. Her marketing strategy for promoting wines from Rias Baixas in Ireland was multifaceted and unique. By linking the history and culture of Ireland and Galicia, she created a unique selling proposition that resonated with both consumers and trade. Collaborating with culinary colleges and with renowned chefs like Paul Flynn while highlighting the Camino de Santiago added to events success.

Spicebags Podcast

Spicebags was an award-winning podcast that ran for four seasons 2019-2024. Named after everyone’s favourite Chinese-Irish drunk snack, Spice Bags was about Ireland’s relationship with food from the outside world. Season 1 was co-hosted by Mei Chin, Julia Langbein and Blanca. Season 2-4 was co-hosted with Dee Laffan, Mei Chin and Blanca Valencia and it was part of the Headstuff Podcast Network. Spicebags collaborated with festivals (Taste of Dublin, Food on the Edge, Samhain Festival, Dublin Lunar New Year) and brands like Guinness Storehouse and Moutai across Ireland in its quest to promote a diverse food culture. The podcast also had a website with a blog and interviews with industry people and journalists.