The president of the Generalitat Valenciana, Carlos Mazón, spent 853 euros of public money at a meal at the L'Ascaleta de Cocentaina Restaurant (Alicante), a recognized establishment with two Michelin stars and three Repsol soles. To the agape, which occurred on November 1, 2023, the Chief of the Consell and three other people who took four of the special tasting menus of the establishment that the renowned chef Kiko Moya, as confirmed to Eldiario.es the owner of L'Ascaleta, attended. The food, according to the cook, was paid twice: in cash after the agape by “the secretary of the Chief of the Consell” and, on June 12, by transfer of the Generalitat. On the other hand, Mazón team sources attribute the situation to “an error.”
Compromís recorded this week a documentation application for the Presidency of the Generalitat to detail an income of Gastronomy Services Reymo SL, a company that manages L'Ascaleta, to the Fixed Fund of the Generalitat. Specifically, it was a payment made on October 22, 2024 of 853.78 euros. Being the only income that appears throughout the fixed box of the president's cabinet that Eldiario.es revealed this week, this newspaper has contacted L'Ascaleta and the President Carlos Mazón team to clarify the situation. This was the chronology of the facts, according to the different sources and documentary information held by this writing.
On November 1, 2023, the president of the Generalitat went to the municipality of Cocentaina on the occasion of the Fira de Tots Sants, one of the most roots and popularity of the Valencian Community. After his walk through the streets of the municipality, the president went to the L'Ascaleta restaurant, on the outskirts of the town. There, along with three other people enjoyed one of the tasting menus, in addition to the drink that was incorporated into the final bill.
After finishing the food, the president told the restaurant owner to pass the bill to the Generalitat. L'Ascaleta's staff initiated the refund procedure, which Kiko Moya himself considers very “phalla”. Weeks after starting the administrative process, the Generalitat replied that intervention did not validate the invoice and that another process had to be initiated. “We had to send the bill to another window,” explains the chef and owner of the restaurant. And they did so from accounting for gastronomy services Reymo SL, who sent the bill again for collection.
Months later, and according to the restaurant owner, “the secretary of the President of the Generalitat paid the food in ‘Cash ', so we gave the debt satisfied. ”To the surprise of the businessman, on June 12, 2024, the Generalitat Valenciana paid him by transfer by 853.78 euros of the food of November 1, 2023. Seeing the income and when verifying that the secretary of Mazón had already paid the food in metallic to the presidency of the 853.78 euros, accounting movement that appeared reflected in the Generalitat Fixed Fund on October 22, 2024, As can be verified in the Transparency Portal of the Generalitat 'GVA Oberta'. “Luckily we realized and returned the collection because, if not, we would have charged it twice,” justifies the owner of L'Ascaleta.
To questions from eldiario.es, sources of presidency of the Generalitat attributed this payment to “an error.” The same sources did not reveal who the president of the Generalitat was eating and how it is possible that it was paid in ‘cash’ An amount that almost reaches 1,000 euros, the maximum allowed by the Treasury. They did not clarify whether that metallic used by the secretary of Mazón to pay was public, private or Valencian PP money, as would happen with the food in the ventro between Carlos Mazón and the journalist Maribel Vilaplana on the day of the Dana, paid according to Mazón himself by the party. Nor did they clarify from the presidency if the food was private or of work.
The “diverse expenses” of the Mazón Fixed Box
As Eldiario.es has been counting, Mazón is a great fan of good gastronomy. In its first 18 months of mandate, the president and the team of his cabinet were spent on work meals 36,000 euros in different restaurants in Valencia and Alicante.
The analysis of the Fixed Fund of the President's Cabinet – set to cover “diverse expenses” in the field of “meetings, conferences and celebrations” – confirms the fans of Mazón and his team for the Mediterranean cuisine and his attachment to the good restaurants of the two capitals where he resides, to celebrate work meetings.
Among the best known establishments that Mazón has attended on account of the public treasury are the Nau Manolín, Master, Taberna Gourmet, La Costera restaurant or the Taska Sidrería, all of Alicante; or Gastro Trinquet, La Sasonía, Abadía d'Empí, La Taberna de Marisa, Rausell or the restaurant of the Mercantile Athenaeum, among others, in Valencia.
