The Staff Canteen European Chefs Tour: Nieves and Ashley reflect on San Sebastián

“You’re always learning when you come here,” says Nieves Barragán Mohacho as she reflects on The Staff Canteen’s inaugural European Chefs Tour to San Sebastián.

For the Basque-born chef and restaurateur, returning to one of the world’s great culinary cities with a group of leading UK chefs was as much about sharing culture and knowledge as it was about experiencing the food itself.

Together with chef-director Ashley Palmer-Watts, Nieves helped guide the group through three days exploring the restaurants, pintxos bars and culinary traditions that have made the Basque Country one of the most influential food regions in the world.

The educational trip brought together a group of chefs alongside supplier partners Winterhalter UK, TRUEfoods, SHW Design and Jestic Foodservice Solutions, with the aim of offering an immersive look at the region’s food culture – from casual pintxos bars to Michelin-starred dining.

Over the course of the trip the group visited Daniel’s Focacceria in San Sebastián, toured the legendary pintxos bars of the Parte Vieja, travelled to the coastal village of Getaria for lunch at the world-renowned seafood restaurant Elkano, and headed inland to Tolosa to experience the famed steakhouse Casa Julián. The final evening featured a special tasting menu from Paulo Airaudo’s two-Michelin-starred Amelia, hosted at his restaurant Ibai while Amelia relocates to the historic Hotel Maria Cristina.

Among the chefs taking part in the tour were Spencer Metzger (Row on 5), Sarah Frankland (Pennyhill Park), Ben Drake (The Elephant, Torquay), Robert Taylor (Tallow, Tunbridge Wells), Ben Harrison (Counter Culture, Newquay) and James Prout (The Angel at Hetton).

For both hosts, the trip represented an opportunity not only to showcase the Basque Country’s extraordinary culinary landscape, but also to encourage dialogue and learning between chefs working at the highest levels of the industry.

Reflections on the trip

For Nieves Barragán Mohacho, a native of the Basque Country and joint host of the trip, the highlights of the three-day trip were innumerable. From the classic pintxos tour to the Michelin-starred meals, Nieves says every day was enlightening.

“One of the main things that people need to do when them come to San Sebastián is, of course, to experience our culture – go out, have a drink, have a pintxo, walk around. That’s the best way to start a trip to San Sebastián.

“Of course, for me, Elkano was the absolute highlight because first (chef) Aitor (Arregi) is my friend, but regardless of that, the way he respects the fish, the knowledge that he has, when to catch the fish, the shellfish, listening to him talk – he’s like an open book. So, for me to go to Elkano, it’s not just about experiencing the food, it’s about developing your knowledge of the sea.”

And although in her native country, Nieves feels she learned so much from the trip.

“Absolutely, because, and this is the beautiful thing, even though this is my second home (I’m from Bilbao, but this is my second home), every time I come here, I always learn not just about the food, but about different types of chocolate that I’d never tried before, different types of cider… You’re always learning. And that hot hazelnut ‘soufflé’ [at Elkano] – I don’t even have a sweet tooth, but that was like ‘wow’ – the balance of the dish was next level.

“And just to be walking around my second home with these beautiful people, sharing knowledge, talking about food - every time we sit down together, we're talking about different ways of how to cook things - it's just been an incredible experience.”

Learning beyond the kitchen

Ashley Palmer Watts, who was instrumental in pulling the tour together, says the opportunity to share experiences and stories against an educational culinary backdrop had been the highlight of his trip.

“It’s a diverse group of people from varying backgrounds and restaurants and it’s been interesting to talk to them a little bit about experiences and stories.

“For me, personally, I was asked about my career and the journey I had been on, and things along the way, and I was asked about diversifying after I left The Fat Duck Group, when I moved into coffee, into events, and into alcohol. And then, obviously, taking on The Devonshire - it's quite a diverse little mix.

“And I think it's trying to get across to them that if they're interested in other things, other than just restaurants, then go after them and do other things, because it's great fun. There's no real limit to what chefs can apply themselves to.”

Being on the trip, Ashley adds, had given the chefs the opportunity to slow down.

“Because everyone's running around doing their thing, fixing equipment, chasing supplies, staff issues, and God knows what! After the first day, everyone started to open up, they started to slow down, they were focusing on what was going on around them - tasting some really cool food while getting to know other people.

“I think it's all about meeting amazing people along the way - go out there, make the effort, make new connections outside your normal operating network of people, and you never know where it will lead.

“You just need one conversation, or someone says, we should meet up for a coffee or a drink or whatever - go do it, because you never know where it’s going to lead.”

From our sponsors

With thanks to Winterhalter UK, TRUEfoods, SHW Design and Jestic Foodservice Solutions for their support of The Staff Canteen’s European Chefs Tour to San Sebastián.

Written by Amanda Afiya
Pictures: Gareth Sefton & Ashley Palmer-Watts