San Sebastian, Spain.
19th Nov to 23rd Nov
A day’s journey from Anglesey to San Sebastian has been achieved by Volvo, Travel Lodge, M6, M11, Easyjet and a fast drive from Bilbao airport with our distributor, Francesc, through a rainy night to our pension Alemeda on the third floor in the elegant city centre.
Ten minutes later we were ready for refreshment and food and were taken to the ‘Wimbledon Tennis Club’ overlooking the bay. The city is built in a horseshoe around the beautiful beach, rather like Nice or Llandudno.
Not quite sure what to make of this especially as we passed the giant tennis ball at the entrance but we went inside to find 130 chefs all enjoying tapas before the dinner. Tasting good ham and white wine is always a pleasure since learning at a Slow Food Workshop that the acidity in the wine cleanses the tongue to taste the ham again. And so on. An hour of tasting and then a seven course meal began- and it was already after 10pm. Our culture can’t handle late eating and it is hard to adjust but the intense Spanish atmosphere was a delight. These people just loved talking and tasting, and talking more about the array of tastes.
The cucumber puree with Bacalao (Cod) was delicious but this meal did become a challenge by 1am as our palates flagged on facing a whole foie gras each. Alison managed 3 nibbles I went for the top half but then realised I was tasting a competitor’s sea salt that had been used to garnish the top. The ‘other’ British sea salt sneaked its way in courtesy of one of the main sponsors who imported it from England.
Course 6 was 5 ribs of seriously juvenile lamb, each cooked as raft with a seasoning of smoked Halen Môn. This was good, really good, and I put aside our usual prejudice in favour of Welsh lamb as the best anywhere. We congratulated the young chef (and most of the chefs were under 40) who came out to discuss the lamb.
The cheese course was melted goat’s cheese on a large spoon: we passed and nibbled at chocolates before collapsing back to the pension, tired and stuffed. At least that was what we planned but unable to get back into the pension with a key that just wouldn’t turn we pressed the bell and then the card wouldn’t let us in to the floor. Madam was not impressed and came out in dressing gown and fluffy slippers and gestured at these foreigners who can’t use basic equipment. She thought the card was upside down and gestured how to waggle the key in a specific way. We just went to bed in disgrace.
Waking up to a blue sky and a canary singing in the opposite apartment was superb and then out into the city for more food.
Breakfast pinchos in the tapas bar nearby. Why oh why can’t Britain have open plates of delicious food- fresh rolls filled with Spanish ham topped with roasted pepper, omelettes filled with chorizo or ham, and a whole range of delicious homemade cakes- on a counter top with no refrigeration where you help yourself; there are no queues and good coffee is made quickly.
But we weren’t just here to eat, we were here to go to the Congress of Gastronomy- the Feria de Gastronomía, to listen to world famous chefs and hope they used Halen Môn, and then this evening we would find out why we had been asked to fly to Spain in the first place.
I didn’t know what to expect in the modern building (www.kursaal.org) all set at strange angles that worked perfectly. Making our way through the VIP entrance, we collected headphones and discovered we could have translation in Spanish, French or Italian. Clearly no one English speaking is expected to attend.
A door was opened and a 2000 seat theatre was before us, with one chef being listened to by about 500 other chefs. Elsewhere there was a proper kitchen and the chef (Joan Roca – one of about 40 through the 2 days) was taking a junior chef through the live creation of a complex dish. As each meal was ready to be sent out or tasted there was a round of applause from the audience, many of whom were taking notes or videoing. Britain just doesn’t have this.
Somehow the sponsorship by Tefal, who provided a mobile of 24 giant frying pans and a frying pan shaped lectern, didn’t intrude. There were just a lot of serious chefs learning and sharing. Surrounding the theatre were about 50 stands of food and wine which were the fringe entertainment. This was a food show where the food came first and the chefs were seriously regarded not as celebrities but as Kings! No Queens while we were there.
Four chefs later and time for a breather, we went out for tapas and at every stage our man Francesc kept meeting chefs and distributors and people connected to food. Outside the bar was a beach with canoeists, surfers and swimmers and even in mid November it was warm enough to want to join in. I had brought the trunks but was not quite brave enough to do more than paddle.
Back to the Congress and we were informed we had to be available at 7pm for a new product presentation. It could only be good news but we weren’t quite sure and just hung around nervously, trying to look normal with the other 4 other food producers from around the world who had been selected.
Ushered into the bowels of the theatre we emerged next to the hanging frying pans and a bevy of people keeping us just out of sight. Suddenly, we were called on stage and unable to understand more than the odd word we gathered we had won the award of the world’s best 5 food products for quality available to chefs. A handshake and the presentation of an enormous metre long lead weighted razor sharp Basque walking stick was made. Our man Francesc was beaming even more than usual. This was worth the 5 years of patient work, all his travelling around Spain looking after his many many customers.
Modestly or not we wandered around in a daze with this fearsome stick and its box and chatted to the other producers; a rice grower from Italy, a chocolatier, a cheese maker and an oyster grower, our main communication being sign language and the common interest in good food. We were particularly delighted to share the honour with Acquerello rice growers as we had met them a number of times before, in San Francisco’s Winter Fancy Food Show and Italy’s Salone del Gusto. (For any of you reading this who want a taste of this fabulous product, we are expecting supplies in during the next few weeks.)
But how would we get the award back? British airlines don’t take kindly to weapons as hand luggage, even if they are traditional Basque leaders’ staffs. The happy solution was to order a pallet of foodstuffs from the other fabulous producers about whom Francesc is passionate and they will come with our award in the next fortnight.
How do you celebrate winning such an award? Why you go and have a little lie down and then go out to another huge meal. This time only 5 courses and more formal than the night before. Thank goodness, we thought, not too much foie gras and really rich food. But there it was in course 3, this time, however, beautifully served with a thin sweet crust and a few flakes of Halen Môn. This meal was very good and even the speeches afterwards were bearable.
And so to sleep again (having managed the door with Francesc’s help) and we woke to the canary trilling outside with thoughts of having to go back to Anglesey but not before pinchos for breakfast, tapas for lunch, a few more chefs to marvel at, a sit down with the tuna supplier who uses our sea salt crystals with each tin as a separate sachet. Look out for this Bocante tuna and anchovies, they really are the best!
Everything happens in reverse, which isn’t nearly as much fun, from saying goodbye, to the Easyjet flight, to looking for the car in the car park and driving home, late for us, but back in Spain they would be sitting down to yet another normal midnight meal, and we were missing the last night of the Congress….
Back to work for a normal Friday although we did get to work later than usual, and our diet over the following few days was mainly lettuce.