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Category Archives: Events

04 Oct

Autumn Events at Savour Academy: 29/10 (Halloween) and 25/11 (Thanksgiving)

It’s the beginning of the end. Melodramatic, right? What I’m really referring to is the change of the seasons in Barcelona. From high summer to autumn, when the leaves fall, we get flash thunderstorms and it gradually cools down. Autumn is the beginning of the end of the year. It’s also my favourite time of year as it marks my beloved native Irish holiday, Halloween. Another notable favourite is the American Thanksgiving holiday. I celebrated (and feasted) with friends while living in NYC twenty years ago and I’ve enjoyed being part of it ever since.

So I’m creating two Cultural Dinner Pairings in Autumn. You are invited to sit at the Savour Academy table and learn about the customs of these two diverse gastronomic cultures, with wine of course! During the events we sip and savour local wines paired with typical cuisine from each. What’s more, there’ll be musical pairing to accompany each event.

My Cultural Dinner Pairings in Autumn

Friday 29th October 20.30h- Irish Cultural Dinner Pairing (Halloween Edition)

There will be songs and stories, costume and Halloween readings are all welcome here. We will get into the spirit of Irish Halloween traditions, while enjoying a three-course pairing dinner with fresh seasonal produce.

Menu and booking here!

Thursday 25th November 19.30h- American Cultural Dinner Pairing (Thanksgiving)

A classic Thanksgiving celebration, where all participants are invited to give thanks and enjoy a great dinner pairing. With live americana blues (tbc), a massive turkey and sublime wines this is one event that you don’t want to miss!

Menu and booking here!

06 Jul

Cava Sabrage and Paella Class

Are you looking for a paella class with a difference in Barcelona? Do you also love adrenaline and most importantly, Spain’s answer to champagne, some lovely bubbly cava? My Cava Sabrage and Paella Class is borne of a desire to combine this classic gastronomical duo. You are guaranteed to have a blast!

Here’s What You Can Expect

At Savour Academy, you’ll “sabre the moment” as you learn to pop the top off a bottle of cava. After a brief history lesson on the background of champagne sabrage, I’ll show you the safe technique of sabrage. After that it’s every man, and woman for themselves! Joking aside, this is a hands-on workshop where I’ll assist you to sabre your very own bottle of biodynamic cava from the Parés Baltà winery in D.O. Penedès. Successful sabreurs receive a certificate of completion and their sabred cork as a keyring!

We sabre only good quality cava and we drink what we don’t spill, before and during lunch! During this dynamic workshop, you also make a traditional paella from scratch. So when we’re done sabring bottles of cava, we can savour the best local flavours at my table together.

Pairing Paella with Cava

If you’ve had a seafood paella by the beach before you’ll recall the salinity of fresh shellfish, the savoury saffron flavour contrasted with lemon and herbs. Paella goes excellently with white wine in general, but for an extra special mouthfeel, a good cava is next level pairing. This brut cava has a dry freshness, fruit and lively acidity to boot.

More Info About Cava Sabrage and Paella Class

  • AVAILABILITY: This is a Saturday lunchtime class from 13h-16h but contact me for alternative days and times
  • MENU: We cook a traditional seafood paella, but I can cater to other preferences
  • GROUP SIZE: Minimum two participants, maximum 10. For larger groups, get in touch for options
  • COST: The price ranges from 79€ to 99€ per person, depending on the group size
  • BOOK: Contact me with your request and let’s sabre and savour the moment in Barcelona!

If you’re interested in cooking a paella at home, I recommend this paella pan and this gas attachment for cannister.

06 Jul

23/07 Relaunch & 15 Years in BCN Party

Yes you read it correctly, I’ve been in Barcelona for 15 years so I want to celebrate that with you! That, and my relaunch of the food and wine school as Savour Academy. Join me to celebrate and reminisce the last 15 years in the city and 5 years working with my own food and wine events. If you’re reading this, I’d love to see you there!

Event Info

  • WHEN: Friday 23rd July, 18.30h-21.30h
  • WHERE: Savour Academy, C/Farell 12 bajos
  • RSVP: Please contact me to let me know you’ll be there!
28 Jun

16/07 Savour Sri Lankan Dinner Pairing

You might remember our last Sri Lankan Dinner Pairing at Savour Academy. It seems like a lifetime ago, so we are joining forces again with Ceylon Affairs! You can join us on Friday 16th July for this Sri Lankan dinner experience that is unique in Barcelona. And here’s why:

How is Sri Lankan Food Different from Indian?

Different to mainland Indian cuisine, traditional Sri Lankan recipes have an “island” style. That means that, apart from all the tantalising spices associated with Indian food, you also get an abundance of coconut and chilli. Sri Lankan cooking also tends to use more fish and seafood in the dishes.

Gimi is our Sri Lankan homechef for the evening. Based in Barcelona, she shares a passion for her native cuisine through Ceylon Affairs. You are invited to an intimate, exciting evening to explore the flavours of Sri Lanka with us!

Sri Lankan Pairing Menu

After a cava welcome reception, we will present and pair three dishes with wines at the Savour Academy table.

  1. Wine 1 with Sri Lankan Coconut Roti topped with Seeni Sambol and blue cheese
  2. Wine 2 with traditional Turmeric yellow rice, served with fresh papadums and the following curries:
    • Wambotu “Moju” (Sweet and tangy pickled eggplant relish)
    • “Kaju Maluwa” (Creamy Cashew and pea curry)
    • Kale and Coconut Sambol (Coconut prawn curry)
  3. Wine 3 with Tangy Lemon Mousse and seasonal berries

Event Info

  • WHEN: Friday 16th July, 20.30h-23h
  • WHERE: Savour Academy, C/Farell 12 bajos
  • COST: 35€ includes presentation and tasting of three Sri Lankan dishes and three wines
  • BOOK: 10 spots maximum at the table. Book yours to avoid disappointment!

Are you interested in booking this type of event for your own private group? At Savour Academy we can plan your event together. Contact me for all the options for wine tastings and pairings, cooking classes and fun, sustainable events.

31 May

Sabre the Summer! Cava Sabrage

Have you tried cava sabrage yet? Do you love cava and also learning an exciting, hands-on class? Then it’s time for you to tick off this bucket-list hit.

The art of champagne sabrage or cava sabrage as we know it at Savour Academy, is popping a bottle of bubbly with a sword! This does not require strength or swordsmanship. You will find out just why, if you attend this adrenaline-packed workshop. With origins in the Napoleonic wars era, we quaff cava as we learn a bit of the legend of sabrage.

After I show you the safe technique and know-how, each participant will have a go at sabring their cava bottle. Cava sabrage is surprisingly straightforward. You’ll love the feeling when you hear the crack-pop of the cork as you saber.

A Common Question: But is it Safe?

In a word, yes. At Savour Academy, the first thing you learn is the method behind the madness. Why the top of the bottle and the cork react as they do and what you need to keep in mind. Safety comes first! You should know that my weapon of choice that we use to “sabre” the cava is actually a fairly blunt machete. If you follow Savour Academy on Instagram, you’ve probably seen my tag #machetethemoment because it’s not quite a sabre!

MORE INFO: Each participant receives a welcome glass of cava from the demo bottle. Then you are given a personalised, hands-on workshop where you learn to sabre your very own bottle with a sword! Successful participants receive a certificate and a keyring momento. There will be light snacks to accompany the class, because we drink what we don’t spill!

WHERE: Savour Academy // WHEN: Dates & Times Flexible (2 hrs) // COST: 39€ // BOOK: 10 Spots Max. Contact me to book.

31 May

08/07 Come to Your Senses! Blind Tasting

Savour Academy is all about teaching the senses. We talk and listen about food and wine, while we hear stories about the pairings. You can smell the aromas and feel the textures of both the food and the wines. We also see the dishes, how they are displayed and how the wine looks. Wait, what if we took away the last part about seeing? That’s what makes blind wine tasting such a sensorial experience. You hear, you feel, you taste, but you need to decide, in the dark!

So, What is Blind Tasting?

You may have heard of blind wine tasting before. This is when the wine tasters are kept unaware of the type or identity of the wine. Sometimes this means that the bottle is disguised, but the wine taster still gets to see the wine in the glass. Using factors such as colour, transparency and body, it is possible for a wine enthusiast to ascertain certain grape varietals in a wine. During a blind tasting at Savour Academy you are blindfolded, so you can guess what you can’t see!

MORE INFO: During the activity we will use a sommelier’s aroma kit alongside some natural, fruit and herb aromas, to open your ofactory senses. Then we will smell our way through 5 quality local wines that are mainly monovarietals. We pair the wines with light, tapas style snacks (please contact me if you have food preferences). This tasting is really fun, whether you are a complete wine beginner, a wine enthusiast or you consider yourself a wine pro! Sensory thrills come guaranteed!

WHERE: Savour Academy // WHEN: Thursday 8th July 19.30h (2 hrs) // COST: 25€ // BOOK: 8 Spots max. Book Yours.

And finally, a bit about our co-host. This blind wine tasting event is running in collaboration with Bennetta, who hosts fun and interactive group events via Internations. You may have met Bennetta during our Gin & Cocktails Workshop or Cava Sabrage event at Savour Academy in previous sessions.

31 May

09/06 Paleo Nutrition Talk & Taste (Dine & Wine)

The times are changing. Are you in the mood to shift towards a healthier, more natural lifestyle? Then join us for a special paleo evening, to talk and taste with Sinzy, Hofmann-trained chef and the founder of Cooking Nature.

What are the principles of the paleo diet? Well, historically paleo is designed around the nutrition of our hunter-gatherer ancestors. Long before processed foods and high-carb meals became the norm in our society. Numerous studies show how this primal way of choosing foods is much better for our bodies. So the paleo diet contributes to healthy weight loss and lower rates of heart disease and diabetes.

MORE INFO: Sinzy will explain the paleo concept in more depth, as we get practical and taste three paleo dishes. We then pair the dishes with ecological, biodynamic wines from Savour Academy. Let your tastebuds guide you to a better way to eat. We promise a very informative, tasty evening in good company, with good wines of course!

Paleo Menu:

  • Starter- Wine 1 with stir-fried eggs, asparagus and peas
  • Main- Wine 2 with salmon, vegetables and avocado
  • Dessert- Wine 3 with baked apple, almond butter and berries

WHERE: Savour Academy // WHEN: Wednesday 9th June, 20h (2 hrs) // COST: 40€ //BOOK: 6 Spots Max! Book Yours.

Want to know more about Sinzy, our chef for the evening? Well, Sînziana Dulamă a Romanian native, is a professional cook, trained at Hofmann Barcelona. She is also a passionate yogi who loves getting into nature. She offers gastronomy classes, catering and tastings in Barcelona and surround. We recently took a botanicals walk and talk at the Jardí Botànic Històric in Montjuïc. During this guided tour, we discovered the abundance of Mediterranean herbs and vegetables in season at the moment. If you want to organise a group outing like this, please contact me!

04 May

Bye Bye Uncorked, Hello Savour Academy Barcelona!

I’m rebranding my venue as Savour Academy, to reflect both the food and wine offerings (follow me on Facebook or Instagram as @savouracademy). Together we can do wine tasting, cooking classes, dining and pairing, cava sabrage and much more.

It’s time to savour the moment in Barcelona so sign up for news and events!

02 Feb

Book Your Bubble: Come To Your Senses! Wine Tasting

This is a blind wine tasting activity for wine enthusiasts and sensory socialites alike. Blind wine tasting helps to hone your sense of smell and perception, in a relaxed setting. How much do you know about wines? After a blindfolded aroma workout we sample five local, ecological or biodynamic wines, to guess the colour, aromas, and grape types, with picapica nibbles.

More Info: Price 29€ pp (4-6 person group), dates and times flexible. Contact me to book.

02 Feb

Book Your Bubble: Gyoza Workshop & Wine Pairing

If you’ve only ever tried gyoza from a menu, you really must attend this workshop! Tien from The Lush Kitchen leads us through three types of gyoza and dumplings, how to make the fillings, shaping the gyoza and rolling dumpling dough. It really is a lot of fun, and tasty food to share with your bubble group at the end. The menu is customisable, and includes three wines to pair with your gyoza feast!

More Info: Gyoza Workshop 39€ pp (6 person group). Weekend lunchtime preferred, get in touch to book!