An early morning and cool start for the Spanish Culture & Cuisine trip “Alcoy: Olives, Architecture & Gastronomy” last Friday, but it soon became light as the sun began to shine. We made our way to the Serpis Expo Museo where we met Jan, who was going to translate for us, and our guide for the tour, Fatima, who greeted us with a warm and welcoming smile.
The tour began in the museum area, where the history of Serpis was explained to us: how the company was founded by Cándido Miró Rabasa in 1926, when he bravely embarked on the adventure of manufacturing and packaging the first anchovy-stuffed olives! Fatima explained the workings of vintage machinery, and we were able to see the original packaging and posters dating back to the 1920s.
We then proceeded to the screening room where we watched a video, in English, “The World of Flavor”, that took us on a tour through the highlights of Serpis’ history and the world of appetizers. The video presentation explained the processes of harvesting and selecting the raw materials, the modern machinery involved to reach the final product, and the variety of ingredients used for stuffing olives in the 21st century.
After the video we were taken by lift up to the long catwalk where we were able to observe the Serpis olive filling and packaging process. Fatima and Jan were very informative and happy to answer the numerous questions raised by members!
The last part of the visit was to the onsite shop where we were each given a complimentary can of olives. All the products on sale were at very good prices and many members left carrying bags of different olives, oil, and coffee liqueur!
We then made our way into the centre of Alcoy where the group split into two – one half having a refreshment break whilst the other half had a self-guided visit to the Circulo Industrial building (and vice versa). Founded in 1868 by the local industrial bourgeoisie and middle class, its purpose was to serve as a business and social nexus. The building was designed by a Valencian architect in the Viennese Art Nouveau/Art Déco styles. The building certainly had a sense of grandeur, accented by its beautiful glass ceilings.
After boarding our coach, we travelled a short distance from Alcoy to the Restaurante Torre de Cotes, set inside an historic country estate with over 200 years of history, at the foothills of the Sierra de Mariola Natural Park.
The restaurant was extremely busy with several groups, but the waiters were very efficient and friendly. The food was tasty and the wine and beer flowed! Thank you to all the members who joined me on this day trip and a special thank you to Cheryl Elliott, Tom Miller, and Angela for the photos.
Report by the group leader, Angela Chantry
spanish.culture.cuisine@gmail.com