Category: market

Lockdown Food Home Delivery

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El Mercado de Sevilla

Today I went out for my weekly supermarket run (and rubbish dump). My last time out was on Wednesday, when I noticed changes since the previous visit to El Corte Inglés supermarket at the beginning of the lockdown. Staff were all wearing gloves and masks and we were handed plastic gloves on our way in. Today security had been stepped up, with gloves and sanitiser left out for our use on a table on the way in, and cashiers were being protected behind hanging plexiglass shields.

All this time I’ve been feeling bad about not supporting local independents more but the sad truth is that the small guys aren’t able to offer the same protection for both staff and customers that the bigger supermarkets can. Being in a high risk demographic – over 60 with autoimmune issues going on due to previous stage 4 cancer & chemo – I just don’t want to take the extra risk.

Meanwhile, last week my friends Jeanine & Juan who run the amazing La Azotea, started offering daily menus for home delivery, along with selected items from their regular menu, and also wines. This is a great option for people who haven’t had time to shop, don’t like cooking, or simply miss their favourite La Azotea dishes. You can follow them on their Instagram stories to see the daily specials.

And today I found out about a new initiative started by four friends, including my pal Javier, chef and owner of Taberna Lalola, called El Mercado de Sevilla, offering an online platform for local independent food shops and suppliers to provide home delivery. It’s free of charge for suppliers to join and there is no delivery charge. It’s still early days, but the website is up and running as of today.

La Azotea Sevilla

Málaga | Laboratoria de Sabores

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laboratorio de sabores
While I was out on a Soho Graffiti Tour with my friend Victor @welovemalaga during my recent Málaga Getaway, we turned a corner and Victor suddenly said, “you have to come and meet these people!”. Clearly we had stumbled upon a cooking class in session but co-owners Luís and Amparo were happy to take turns showing me around and telling me all about the Laboratoria de Sabores (the Flavour Lab). It is primarily a space where students learn the art of Mediterranean cooking in a relaxed and very “hands on” environment. Amparo is clearly passionate about keeping the old-style cooking alive and showed me several examples of not only dishes “on the verge of culinary extinction” but also of once-popular food items that are seldom used these days. Her mission is to keep these traditional recipes alive, and from what we saw being prepared by the students that morning, it is indeed a worthy mission.

Aside from offering a variety of cooking classes (beginners, fusion, vegetarian, cooking for singles, cooking for couples, kids classes…), the Lab can also be booked by others to use for their own classes, wine tastings, or private dinners. It’s a lovely and bright space, and Luís and Amparo are clearly in love with what they are doing. Do check them out if you’re spending some time in Málaga and would like to learn more about Mediterranean cooking. Week-long gastronomic holidays can also be arranged, including accommodation.

Laboratoria de Sabores
Duquesa de Parcent 6
Málaga
tel 951 391 487 / 634 552 625
Laboratoria de Sabores Website

Skating under the Setas

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skating rink 2013

[click on image to enlarge]

Starting today (until January 6th) you can rent skates and take a few turns around the curiously named “pista hielo ecológica”. I’m not sure what’s so “ecological” about a massive stretch (264 square metres) of petroleum-based fake ice, but there you go. The kids looked like they were having a great time. Also in the curiously named Plaza Mayor you’ll find some market stalls selling crafts, a churros stand and a kiddie train ride.

Open 11 am – 11 pm
Price: 6 € for approx 30-40 minutes
3 € for the train ride

We Love Málaga Tours

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victorAs some of you may know, I am in love with Málaga and consider it my second home after Sevilla, so I try to get down there as often as possible. And although I’ve been visiting on a regular basis since 2009 I know I still have a lot to learn about it.

I’ve been a Twitter pal of Victor @welovemalaga for a few months and had been hearing great things about his tours, so during a quick visit last weekend I decided to take one of his Malaga Walking Tours. We met on a rainy Saturday morning and, because of the weather, I had Victor all to myself.

A second-generation tour guide (his father and brother are also professional licenced guides) Victor is a natural story-teller. Charming, informed, and passionate about his native city, I was immediately drawn in and held captivated by his entertaining anecdotes and fascinating facts about Málaga. No dull routine “canned talk” on this tour! Places I had already visited many times took on new meaning and I also got to see a few “secret spots” that I didn’t know existed. The two hours flew by. Towards the end we were joined by Victor’s friend Tatiana and we were taken for the final surprise of the tour – a breathtaking rooftop view where we could look out over the port and also see the route we had taken.

victor and tatiana

By this time we were getting hungry and, because Victor also does tapas tours, we decided to do a mini-tapeo before I had to catch my train back to Sevilla. Just imagine! The Málaga King and Sevilla Queen of Tapas together at last. 😉 Not surprisingly, Victor took me to three places I hadn’t been to before and I remembered when I was in Málaga just before Christmas how he had also given me some great tips via Twitter on tapas bars I should visit. He certainly knows the tapas scene in Málaga and is open and generous in sharing his knowledge.

So the next time you’re in Málaga I whole-heartedly recommend that you take one of Victor’s tours. Even if, like me, you’ve visited the city before I guarantee you’ll see it with fresh eyes.

We Love Malaga