February 2025 - Torres Brandy will host its highly anticipated global final of the Torres Brandy Zero Challenge in Barcelona this March, from Tuesday 25th to Thursday 27th.

The three-day event will welcome top hospitality professionals from around the world, who will pitch the sustainable project they believe will enhance the hospitality industry and reduce its socio-environmental impact. Each project will be judged by a panel of international experts, with the winner being granted €30,000 to bring their vision to life within their venues. 

The Torres Brandy Zero Challenge was founded to drive environmental commitment in the hospitality industry and raise awareness of the need to act against climate change, as Familia Torres has been doing in the wine sector for over 15 years. Driven by Torres Brandy, this international competition has expanded its scope in 2025 to a wider list of countries and with a greater diversity of projects. In addition to the bar industry, applications were also open to restaurant teams. Each proposal must address specific socio-environmental challenges and have a measurable impact related to the reduction of CO2 emissions or waste, recycling of materials or social inclusion, among other aspects. 

The first edition of the challenge awarded renowned bartender Giacomo Giannotti, owner of Paradiso, Barcelona (No. 1 in The World’s 50 Best Bars 2022) as the global winner with his “Zero Waste Lab” project, reusing and managing waste to turn plastic into utensils for use in his bar. Thesecond edition awarded the Mexican Alberto del Toro and the project “Taller Zero, giving a second chance”, which looked to transform discarded glass bottles into ashtrays, cups and lamps and employ older people who are at risk of labour exclusion.

At the Global Final, the respected panel of judges will evaluate the finalists in four areas: the idea (what problem it addresses, the relevance of theproposed solution and whether its application is feasible); sustainability (measurable impact, environmental awareness and future commitment), the business plan (financial viability, profitability and execution); and future growth (the scalability and reproducibility of the idea).

The 11 participating countries, across three continents, are: the United States, Canada, Mexico, Spain, Italy, Norway, Finland, the United Kingdom, Romania, South Korea, and Greater China. The selected contestants from each country will compete in the respective national finals throughout February, before travelling to Barcelona for the Global Final.