The Ayuntamiento de Cartagena is working on an initiative to install a culinary classroom in the heart of Santa Florentina Market. With a projected budget of forty-five thousand euros, this space is intended for training, experimentation, and activities related to culinary promotion. The Commercial and Hospitality Department, responsible for the project, envisions the classroom serving cultural and social purposes as well.

According to the council, the aim is to encourage the consumption of local products and promote healthy eating habits. Santa Florentina Market, inaugurated in nineteen fifty-three on Juan Fernández Street, remains a cornerstone for fresh food shopping in Cartagena. Many stalls have been passed down through generations, although there is a challenge to expand and diversify offerings to meet new customer profiles.

In collaboration with the Local Development and Employment Agency, the council is developing specific, customised training at the stalls, available in English and for online sales. Recent improvements to the facilities include large fans, renovations of several fruit stalls, and campaigns promoting the purchase of locally sourced products.

The plan put forth by Mayor Noelia Arroyo also seeks to expand the hospitality offerings, featuring a large communal outdoor terrace and new stalls such as a takeaway seafood cookery. The Ayuntamiento is currently processing tenders to allocate nineteen vacant stalls and three spaces for hospitality purposes, aimed at incorporating tasting businesses and specialised shops. These initiatives, along with the creation of the culinary classroom, form part of a broader strategy to revitalise commercial activity and reinforce the market’s role as a community gathering point and tourist attraction.