Refettorio Mérida will host a baking workshop focused on preparing pan de muerto, a sweet bread central to Mexico’s Day of the Dead celebrations.
The event is part of the Refettorio Aprende program. This educational branch of Refettorio operates on the principle that culinary training can improve lives.
The workshops and donations collected support Refettorio Mérida’s mission. The fee covers more than the cost of the culinary class and ingredients; registration funds go toward strengthening the organization’s work.
The Pan de Muerto Workshop
The session is structured to offer participants a practical learning experience in the kitchen while directly funding community programs aimed at social inclusion and food security in the region.
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During the four-hour practical session, attendees will learn the specific techniques required to prepare different variations of the traditional Mexican sweet bread.
Executive Chef César Marín will lead the workshop, guiding participants step by step through the complete baking process, from dough preparation to the final bake. The curriculum includes three distinct styles of pan de muerto.
The first is a classic, traditional recipe that bakers have used across Mexico for generations. The second variation incorporates Mexican table chocolate directly into the dough for a richer flavor profile.
The third variation is a more contemporary approach featuring an exterior coated in totomoxtle ash, which is derived from roasted corn husks, and an interior filled with a sweet purple potato paste.
The workshop covers all ingredients and professional equipment, so attendees can focus entirely on the practical skills. By learning these variations, participants will gain a practical understanding of regional ingredients, fermentation times, and the technical precision required in both modern and traditional Mexican baking.
Beyond the Workshop: Refettorio Aprende
The program is structured to provide high-quality gastronomic education that remains accessible to the general public while creating concrete professional development opportunities for the local community.
Refettorio Mérida emphasizes the critical importance of increasing access to nutritious food, reducing food insecurity in vulnerable neighborhoods, and raising public awareness of the environmental and social impacts of food waste.
By providing professional training courses and establishing strategic collaborative agreements with other institutions, the organization seeks to offer realistic pathways for social mobility and economic growth for individuals facing difficult financial or social circumstances.
Chiles en Nogada prepared during a workshop held at Refettorio las September.Photo: Courtesy Refettorio
A Global Mission with Local Roots
Refettorio Mérida is part of a broader cultural project developed through a formal collaboration between the international organization Food for Soul and Fundación Palace. These spaces worldwide aim to advocate for a healthy, equitable planet by directly addressing basic human needs and improving the daily well-being of vulnerable populations.
The dining room operates out of a restored colonial building in Mérida’s historic center, serving as a community hub rather than a conventional charity soup kitchen. Staff and volunteers work weekly to transform surplus ingredients safely recovered from local markets and supermarkets into highly nutritious, appealing meals.
These meals are then served in a dignified, traditional restaurant-style setting to people experiencing homelessness, extreme poverty, or other forms of severe social vulnerability.
Participant donations allow Refettorio to continue its community outreach programs, promote responsible use of agricultural surplus food, and build a reliable safety network that helps residents respond to the economic, cultural, and ecological challenges.
If You Go
The pan de muerto workshop will take place from 9 a.m. to 1 p.m. Saturday, Oct. 17 at Refettorio Mérida, Calle 60, 550, between 69 and 71. A donation of 700 pesos per person is required.
Register promptly at 999-991-0660 or via email at: pmolina@fundacionpalace.org. Space is limited, and previous workshops have filled up quickly.
Senior Editor Carlos Rosado van der Gracht, PhD, is a journalist, photographer, and expedition leader. Born in Mérida, Carlos holds degrees from universities in Mexico, Canada, and Norway. Most recently, he earned a doctorate in Heritage Studies in 2026.
