The verbena of Sant Joan is approaching and we already know which are the cocas that are going to sweep this year on the tables (and on Instagram). Two pastry shops from Barcelona have won the grand prize in the Sant Joan 2025 Coques de Sant Joan Contest, which held its seventh edition this Friday at the Antiga Fàbrica Estrella Damm.
The contest brought together 270 coques from all over Catalonia (one of them came from Palma de Mallorca) divided into five categories: traditional fruit and pine nuts, cream and pine nuts, llardons (cracklings ), chocolate and creative. The cocas were delivered in the morning, the jury tasted them without knowing which bakery they came from, and the verdict came in the early afternoon, faster than usual.
The two winning bakeries in Barcelona
On the one hand, the pastry Morreig, in the neighborhood of Gràcia, has been recognized for having the best traditional coca of fruit and pine nuts (local), with a classic brioche dough, and oranges and cherries. The dough is flavored with orange blossom and citrus stripes. On
On the other hand, the pastry shop Natcha, in Les Corts, has taken the title for the best creative coca, that category where you can find everything from unexpected fillings to decorations that seem to come out of Pinterest.
The criteria? The appearance, texture, brioche baking point, aroma, flavor… and depending on the category, details such as crispiness, presentation or originality of the ingredients.
Among the members of the jury was Gerard Gil, from Forn Gil, who won last year with his chocolate coca and this year has repeated, but as a juror. “We immediately identified three cokes that stood out above the rest,” he said. “And last year’s award allowed us to sell our coca throughout the year, beyond Sant Joan.”