trial run tapas & market tour
So remember how I came up with the idea to start doing Market & Tapas Tours? This actually came about a couple of weeks ago after getting together with Lauren from Madrid who has just started doing food tours there. We spent an afternoon going out for tapas here in Sevilla and talking about our tours and various foodie projects, and that’s when I started thinking about doing something similar here, but as a combination of a market and tapas tour.
Last week Kathy came out with me to do some “market research” (heh) and it was after we finished and were out having tapas together that the Ronda weekend plan was hatched. Anyhow, even though I had figured out where I wanted to take people I still needed to do a “trial run” to work out timing and pricing. But of course I needed guineapigs volunteers who would be interested in doing a tour at cost price (just paying for what was consumed). But as almost everyone I know in Sevilla is away on holidays at the moment I reckoned I’d just do a trial run at the beginning of September, since so many market stalls are closed for summer holidays in August.
Then I got a request for a Market & Tapas Tour from someone who’d seen them mentioned on my website. Well, duh! I had forgotten to say they’d be starting in September. And I was about to write Lauren back and tell her it wouldn’t be possible and then I thought… hey! Maybe they’d like to take the very first Market & Tapas Tour at “cost price” with me and Peter? And it turned out they thought this was a great idea and so off we went this morning. Kathy was also able to meet us briefly for a snack and a chat before leaving us at our second market stop.
I think it went really well, though of course there are things I want to fine-tune, and going out with visitors rather than residents was also a real bonus. Lauren and Peter were great company and were also very interested in the food culture here, and so asked loads of questions. So I think it was a win-win thing for everyone concerned, and I also realised that this new tour is going to be a LOT of fun!
That sounds like a great idea! Perfect to have a trial run now so you can hone it over the summer and launch it properly in September.
I’m lucky that the guy who runs a great cheese stall is happy to put out a small table for me and also serve wine, to which we add the jamón and olives we’d picked up along the way. What a perfect pre-lunch starter!
Wine always seems to be involved! Very civilized.
I think it’s a great idea. If I were visiting I would really enjoy the combination because you get to see different aspects of the city and its culture. I predict you’re going to have a lot of demand for these!
Thanks! I like that I can take people to two very different markets and they can see how it works here, the modern and the traditional. And that last-stop fresh fish bar is TO DIE FOR.
I’m very interested in this. We have a couple of visitors coming to Sevilla over the next month starting this Saturday – could you go again with this tour yet?
I’m planning to do the market tours Tuesday – Friday, and the reason for not doing them in August is because of market bars and stalls being closed that month. But I’m available for tapas tours…
This sounds amazing! I’m so happy it worked out. Next time I’m in Seville you’ll have to take me too!
Absolutely! After all, you were my inspiration.