The Tapas Tree Group– background: Unlike almost all Brits, I didn’t discover Spain until later in life, when I was asked (some twenty years ago), to carry out some work for Shell España as a Consultant in the Offshore Oil & Gas business.
At that time we were based in San Carlos de la Rapita, a beautiful area in the Ebro Delta, Catalunya, where absolutely no-one spoke any English (mainly Catalan) , but where I could get by, by learning the basics of Castilian Spanish, which also proved useful everywhere else in Spain, funnily enough?
My few years with Shell España took me from San Carlos, to work in the North of Spain (Santander, Gijon...), then to Madrid, and of course, Barcelona, where, after this short amount of time in Spain, I realised what I might have been missing in life?
From those days on, I immersed myself totally into the culture of the Spanish, the food, the fiestas, the excitement, the colour, the music, the dance (yup, even the Bullfighting); I embraced it all with a great deal of enthusiasm, and have done ever since and now with an Apartment in Barcelona (my favourite City on the planet): I continue to do so!
As a traveller, I have always eaten as the locals do and as a keen (very) amateur cook, tried my hand at cooking the local dishes wherever I had lived, traditional Spanish dishes however, won me over (I make a mean Tortilla) and I absolutely loved the idea of the Tapa, where small tasty dishes can be shared with family and friends; never feeling ‘full’ always feeling as if you need another bite: such an incredible variety of seafood, meats, chorizos (spicy Spanish Sausage), shellfish, vegetables........
Tapas: uniquely Spanish dishes (though a much abused term by some of my new ‘competitors’ in Singapore, but more on that subject later.....): from the Spanish word ‘tapar’ which means to ‘cover’ in Spanish, thought to come about as a result of Innkeepers in bygone days, covering glasses of wine with small plates of cheese or sausage, to stop flies and mosquitoes flying in?
Others say that tapas began to be served at the entrance to Inns, to satisfy the hunger of travellers who would halt briefly on their journeys, but had no time to get down from their horses or carriages even for a bite to eat and a glass of wine: hence, a small snack (the tapar, or ‘cover’) was passed to them on top of the wine for a quick bite and drink!
Whatever the reason for the ‘tapar’ I promised myself that one day I would open a Restaurant (or two or three), specialising in this wonderful and uniquely Spanish way, of ‘fun dining’ in sharing these wonderfully simply but incredibly tasty dishes, with family and friends.
Hence, many years later and having travelled throughout the length and breadth of Spain many times and with a great deal more business experience; the first ‘Tapas Tree’ emerged at Clarke Quay, Singapore, in 2004.
Through personal contacts (now partners): identifying the correct site for our first Restaurant, researching many Restaurants overseas for the Chefs who could cook my favourite dishes in their truly authentic fashion, a designer who could help me simulate the ‘Spanish feel’ in my Restaurants, the selection of products from Spain, wines, etc.......
This gave birth to The Tapas Tree Group: now with three Restaurants of various size and location, operating profitably; we are by far the most original in South East Asia, for our food, our ambience (through music and dance) and our designs, from our hand-made mosaic tables, our eye for getting the Spanish ‘look’ through the use of terracotta, wrought iron and red brick, to the personal photographs of Spain that I have on display. Not forgetting of course, the images produced by one of Spain’s most prolific and in-demand Flamenco Dance Photographers, Ana Palma. Our Spanish customers call us, ‘That little bit of Spain, in South East Asia’, a title that I am immensely proud of!
Here’s me drinking traditional Orujo
*beware anything that comes from an old and faded Cardhu bottle!*
whilst the amused pair look on!!
Here’s ‘Man’ with the Chef from Los Caracoles
a very popular place in Barrio Gotico, with a wood-fired chicken rotisserie open to the street, now how can you resist that?
Competitors: a most interesting thing for me since the success of our first outlet at Clarke Quay has been the competition in so-called Tapas that we now have around us in Singapore; they seem to be turning up everywhere! This is a fine accolade for an extremely well researched and very passionate about his outlets, none- food & beverage (Oil & Gas) guy like me: but, please, anyone interested in competing, don’t steal my expensive menus (which happens all the time). I am decent enough to put a comprehensive Menu on my website: just enter and follow the ‘Gallery’ link and there it is for you to download, in English and Spanish. All you have to do is figure out how to prepare and cook these 80-over delicacies.......................................
Business partners: we are keen to listen to any type of business proposal and have several interests in Franchising both within and out-with Singapore: for any personal information on Franchising, please contact: franchising@thetapastree.com
Salut!
Phil
