Zoë Dahse
BRITS have long been a fan of Spanish cuisine for its taste, diversity, and health benefits, but surprisingly it’s not paella or croquetas which are making the rounds on the British food scene.
Instead, it’s pimientos de padron. In a radio interview, the UK correspondent for SER Lucas Font revealed that pimientos de padron are becoming increasingly popular in British restaurants and supermarkets, reflecting an increased interest in Spanish gastronomy.
Waitrose, one of the major upmarket supermarket chains in the UK, has noted a 12% uptick in sales of pimientos de padron compared to last year, as well as general web page searches for Spanish food increasing by 200% on their website.
Font pointed to this increase in demand as a reflection of how easy pimientos de padron are to prepare: in a pan, with olive oil, and then shaken in salt. However, he also admitted that the Brits are somewhat creative in how they serve pimientos de padron.
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For example, Waitrose sells skewers of pimientos de padron with halloumi or tofu for example, something Font’s colleagues commented as a rarity, and certainly not typical of Spain.
Pimientos de padron are typically presented in Spain straight from the pan in which they are made: on a plate, doused in oil and sprinkled with salt. It’s a simple tapas dish but one you will find in any tapas bar nationwide, for its simplicity and flavour.
Following bilateral agreements between London and Brussels, there has been a growing demand for Spanish products in the UK.
The UK imports plenty of fresh produce from Spain such as tomatoes, peppers, and courgettes. As well as this, Spanish wine have a high demand too, although they are often sold at a higher price than in Spain.
Food is an important part of the bilateral exchange between Spain and the UK, and British foodies often cite Spanish cuisine as a staple and hallmark of gastronomy.
In May the bilateral summit between UK and EU agreed to “reset” relations between the UK and the EU, covering a range of issues such as defence, fishing, food product trading and the movement of young people between the two partners.
Spanish gastronomy continues to delight Brits, despite any redtape involved, for reasons anyone who is a resident of Spain will understand.
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Indeed true. My nephew in Dorset goes bananas over padrons.
They are also fun to cook on a plancha, as they jump around!