Beat the bad weather and let us deliver to your door.

Christmas is now over for another year and the weather is miserable here in Lincoln.  The rain is relentless and no one feels like going out shopping.  We have a full mail order service here at Spanish Trading Co.  You can order via our web site or even just give us a call to discuss your order.  We can package it up and deliver it to you next day for as little as £5.99.  Delivery cost depends on weight and delivery location.  If you live locally we will be happy to pack your order for collection from our shop and this service is free of charge.  Why not bring a little Spanish sunshine to these dark rainy days with some treats from Soanish Trading Co.

www.spanishtradingco.co.uk

Introducing Bat's Blood! Our wine for Halloween

Here at Spanish Trading Co. we have been tasting some deicious wines for our restaurant and shop. Along the way we came across this little gem!  It's not Spanish but this time we really don't care!

When we saw the coffin box, I have to admit to thinking that this was just a promotioanl trick, but when you taste Bat's Blood, it is surprisingly delicious and well worth a second glass!!!  It is a merlot, grown and produced in Transylvania, the central area of Romania. Delicious and  full bodied with hints of forest fruits and a good tannin finish. 13% ABV.

Great for Halloween but fantastic for any occasion where you want to bring out your inner Goth and brilliant for Steampunk events! It also makes a lovely gift in the coffin shaped box.

You will all be especially pleased to know that no bats are ever harmed in the production of this lovely wine!

Tapas at Arnold's

Here at Spanish Trading Co., our new tapas bar "Arnold's" is proving popular with customers old and new.  Our menu has many Spanish tapas favourites and our daily specials change regularly so there is always something new to try. Many of the specials are our own recipes, inspired by our travels around Spain.  On our return I would attempt to re-create the simple dishes we had enjoyed and over the years the dishes developed into the ones you can enjoy at Arnold's now.  Our braised potatoes topped with chicken in Manzanilla Sherry, garlic and smoked pimentón is a popular choice when we have it on the Specials menu.

Delicious with an ice cold glass of our draught Estrella Damm or lovely with a chilled glass of the very same Manzanilla sherry used in the dish.
Other dishes on the specials menu include our lovely home made Ablóndigas, spiced with cumin, corriander and cinammon, these little Moorish meatballs are served in the classic style with a subtly spiced tomato sauce with peas. The beef slowly braised with mediterranean vegetables, and potatoes is another great dish that is proving popular, served with crusty bread to mop up the juices.
These dishes are great to share as part of a mixed tapas.

Spanish tapas and pinchos

We have a large selection of hot Spanish tapas and cold pinchos made fresh every day! 

A pincho is a piece of bread with a selection of meats,cheeses, peppers and tomatoes on top with a small cocktail stick to hold it all together 

Spanish After Dinner Liqueurs

A digestif after dinner is a tradtion in Spain. Whether taken in a resturant or simply at home,  a little glass of  a favoutite liqueur is a popular after dinner treat.  Often poured over ice, these liqueurs are sipped to aid digestion of the meal and often accomapnied with lively animated conversation.

 Many are infused with herbs, fruits and spices resulting in a wide variety of flavours. Probably one of the most famous is Ponche, in its distinctive mirrored silver bottle, this fruity liqueur is enjoyed all over Spain by natives and tourists alike.  Orujo De Hierbas, the minty tasting herb liqueur is also popular as are the sweet sloe infused Pacharan and the delicious aniseed flavoured Anise.

Sherry, a whole new world of flavour

Sherry has, in the past been given a bit of bad press, and you could be forgiven for thinking that it is only reserved for putting in the trifle or getting your Nan drunk on Christmas Day! If this is your attitude, maybe you should read on....

Made in the south of Spain, sherry comes in many different guises from bone dry to intoxicatingly sweet.  Here is a little insight into the main types;

Fino Sherry is pale in colour with a bone dry nutty tang and notes of of citrus and apple. This is amazing served chilled with tapas, olives or some marcona almonds

Manzanilla sherry is made near the sea where the salty air gives a distinctive tang to this bone dry pale sherry. Again, best served chilled, this goes well with taps, ham and seafood.

Amontillado sherry is  amber in colour with a semi-dry flavour with hints of hazelnut and almond. Best served at cool room temperature this goes beautifully with cheese, fish and white meats.

Oloroso sherry is amber in colour and smi dry with an intense complex flavour and notes of caramel and chocolate. Ideal served with cheese and red meats.

Pedro Ximenez is deliciously rich and sweet with a dark mahogany colour.  Lovely with strong cheeses such as the blue Valdeon, this also goes well with deserts and chocolate.

Sherry is becoming a popular drink in the UK and rightly so.  Maybe next time you fancy some tapas, give one of these a try. We stock them all in the shop and we will be happy to advise you. You won't be disappointed!

Spanish Cider

If you fancy a refreshing change from the usual British Cider, why not give the famous Spanish "Sidra" a try?
Produced in Asturias in the north of Spain, these ciders offer a refreshing change from beer or wine and they go really well with Tapas or a meal.
There are two kinds of Sidra, The natural still version and the Sparkling "Champagne version"  Each with its own special charicteristics and flavour. Both are presented in generous 700ml bottles - great for sharing!

The natural still cider is a little cloudy with a dry, tart apple flavour and great tannin finish.  It is traditionally poured a little at a time, from a great height into the glass to introduce air and bring out the complex flavours and aromas of the drink.  The glass is topped up regularly until the bottle is finished.  In Asturias,  it is generally served in a "Sideria" or cider bar, where the barmen are very skilled at pouring.

The second type of Asurian Cider is known as "Champanada" due to the way in which the cider is fermented in the bottle and topped with a cork just like Champagne.  This is lighter both in colour and flavour than the still cider but still retains fantastic dry, apple kick and delicate sparkle.  This also comes in a generous 700ml bottle.  We love to serve this with some good artesan made manchego cheese!

Next time you fancy a change, why not give one of these a try?
We have them both in stock at the shop and available also on line.

Have a Christmas Tipple at Spanish Trading Co!

Christmas this year is a very exciting time for us here at Spanish Trading Co.  We have just been granted our alcohol licence and we have started to take delivery of some lovely wines from Spain. We have some reds, whites and rosé wines as well as a fantastic dry Cava for those looking for  some festive fizz!  All are available by the glass to drink in or by the bottle to drink in or take home.  Our very popular coffee can now be enjoyed with a glass of Spanish Brandy - a real festive treat to keep out the cold on those Christmas shopping trips! We are also really pleased to have two delicious dry ciders from Asturias in the north of Spain.  We have a still cloudy cider which is traditionally poured into a small glass from a great height to aeriate the cider and release the full flavour.  Our Sparkling cider is presented in a bottle which is sealed with a champagne cork.  The cider is clear and dry with a crisp apple flavour.  Both ciders come in very generous 700ml bottles!

All of our wines and ciders go particularly well with our deli platters which can be enjoyed at our little table in the shop.

Autumn at Spanish Trading Co

We are working hard at Spanish Trading Co. this autumn to bring you some great food for the cooler days ahead and some delightful ceramics to cheer up the darkest of dull days!

The leaves are now falling from the trees next the shop and our thoughts are turning to warming stews,comfort food and the longer nights.  Spain  can be quite cool in Autumn and winter, especially in the north and there are some lovely traditional Spanish dishes that are ideal for cooler weather.  In our family, we always enjoy Fabada at this time of year.  It is a dish from Asturias in the north of Spain, made with white beans, morcilla and chorizo.  It is tasty and filling and ideal for serving to family and friends.  Our family recipe is on the website and ingredients for this and many other dishes are available in store and to order on line.

With the festive season fast approaching, we have just taken delivery of some more beautiful hand painted ceramics from Spain.  The vibrant colours and textured finishes will really brighten the darker days of autumn and winter. We have added two beautiful new designs to our original range and they are proving very popular.  The pieces are all practical as well as beautiful and can be used or just enjoyed as decorative items.  We have included some gorgeous little jugs for serving Sangria, wine, water or fruit juices and some lovely serving bowls and platters to show off your food to maximum effect.  They all make wonderful gifts:

Our "Big Olives" range has a vibrant wash of yellow with beautifully painted black olives and green leaves. This has a real Mediterranean feel.
The New "Gem" range is a wonderful cobalt blue with green and yellow decoration which is hand piped on for a tactile effect.
Our "Carmen" pieces are washed with a subtle yellow shade with ocre and again, these pieces are hand piped in a beautiful pattern.
The ever popular "Alegria Verde" has a base wash of deep green and red with an intricate pattern piped on in green and yellow.

Spanish Blend Coffee

We are very excited today because our new coffee beans have arrived and we are now serving even better coffee than we did before!!
Roasted in Asturias, up in the north of Spain, our coffee is a blend of 70% Natural Roast and 30% Torrefacto.  Torrefacto means that the natural roasted beans have a little sugar added right at the end of the roasting process.  This coats the beans in a delicious caramel like coating.  The Torrefacto beans are then mixed 70/30 with natural roasted beans.  The resulting coffee when ground in our shop is rich and dark with a luxuriously dark crema.  The coffee does not taste sweet at all, so no need to worry about that.   If you ever wondered why coffee tastes so fantastic in Spain, this is probably the reason why.

A perfect cafe con leche to start the day!

Our Coffee Shop and Sandwich Bar

I cant believe where the time has gone.  our new shop is six weeks old already!  It has already changed from our original idea of just a small delicatessen.  We have added a wonderful coffee machine which even though I say it myself, churns out some extremely good coffee.  We also have started to make Spanish bocadillos and have a few regular customers who seem hooked on them.  I must say that they are a fabulous change from the usual lunch time sandwich on offer in Lincoln.  The most popular one is the Serrano ham with Manchego cheese. We make them just as they do in Spain.  We start with a freshly baked half size baguette which is split open and drizzled with really good Spanish Olive Oil.  We then freshly slice the ham, cut the cheese into little thin wedges and fill the baguette. Of course, many people choose their own fillings from our deli counter.  We have beautiful salamis, chorizo, cured pork loin and a really fabulous dry cured smoked beef from Asturias in the north of Spain.  Our cheeses also make wonderful fillings, the soft creamy cows milk cheese called Tetilla is very popular, especially with the early birds who get to us whilst the bread is still warm!!

Spanish Snacks for the weekend

If you are planning on seeing a film over the weekend either in town or at home, or if you are still keeping up with the football,  why not try something different form the usual snacks on offer at your local cinema or corner shop?  We have a large selection of Spanish snacks available in our shop in Lincoln.  We have loads of different nibbles such as fried broad beans, with or without chilli, some fried corn and salted sunflower seeds.  These make a real change from the usual nachos and popcorn. We also have some sweet turron, chocolate treats or how about a natural wedge of dried figs with almonds, just made for when the munchies strike.

For the carnivores amongst us! (we fall into this category!) we have some great tubs of mixed snacks that include corn, nuts and Spanish pork scratchings.  And for the pure carnivore..... A simple bag of fried pork rinds - try keeping them to yourself!

Fresh Boquerones for a hot day!

Today we have some beautiful award winning Boquerones on our deli counter.  These large white achovies come from the Mediterranean and won a two star gold medal in last year's Great taste Awards.  They are not salted like many canned anchovies.  They are simply marinated in vinegar and oil with the addition of a little salt just to season. Delicious with some crusty bread and a salad.

Our delicious boquerones

Our Shop On Lincoln High Street!

Spanish Trading Co. 391-392 High Street, Lincoln, LN5 7SS

Our Deli Counter stocks a variety of  hams, chorizo, olives and cheeses as well as boquerones and fresh Padron Peppers (when available). We also have cooking chorizo, morcilla & Fabada meats. 

Our Coffee shop serves freshly ground coffees, Speciality teas from Spain , Cola Cao hot chocolate, sandwiches and salads.  All available to take away if you prefer!

The other side of our shop has Spanish groceries, spices and sweets.  We also have a very large range of terracotta cookware & steel paella pans together with some beautiful hand painted ceramics from Andalucia.

You are very welcome to come in and Browse!

New Shop Opening 31st May 2014

Our new shop on Lincoln High Street is nearing completion.  We are working hard to make sure that customers will get the best possible experience from shopping with us. We have decorated the shop in an Andalusian style with ochre colours, Spanish tiles and dark wood shelving. We will be stocking a range of cured Spanish meats, cheeses and olives which can be bought by weight so that customers can buy as much or as little as they need from a slice or two of Serrano ham to a full leg of magnificent ham on the bone.  Our grocery section will stock some of the famous Spanish goods  such as smoked pimenton, olive oil, sherry vinegars and turron. All  our products are carefully chosen for taste and quality.  We will also be offering a wide range of traditional terracotta cookware, steel  paella pans and ham carving equipment. Our hand painted ceramics are imported by us from a little factory in Andalusia.
Our sandwich bar and coffee shop will offer traditional Spanish Bocadillos and fresh salads as well as British favourites and we will offer a full range of speciality coffees, teas and of course, the famous Cola Cao hot chocolate all to take away.  We will have a small seating area for customers who wish to eat in.

We open at 8am on 31st May!

Great Spanish Doughnuts!

One of the many great things about Spain is the delicious churros, traditionally served for breakfast.  These thin doughnuts coated in a little sugar are dipped into thick hot chocolate.  Surprisingly easy to make, the churro mix is simply mixed with water and placed into a piping bag to be piped directly into the hot oil.  The little churros are fried until golden before being drained and sprinkled with just a little sugar.  That's it! They are now ready to be dipped into thick hot chocolate!  A handy churro maker makes life even easier!  The interchangeable nozzles mean that you can make a variety of different shapes.
Why not give them a try!

http://www.spanishtradingco.co.uk/Spanish-Groceries/Tea-Coffee-Hot-Chocolate-and-Other-Drinks/Vira-Spanish-Drinking-Chocolate-180g-Tin

Enjoy good food with family and friends!

The Post Christmas period often leaves us feeling a little deflated.  The party season is over for another year and many of us have a few pounds to lose after the excesses of seasonal food and drink. Our wallets have often taken a bit of a beating in December and we often make savings by staying at home instead of going out to eat and drink .This time of year finds us longing for the summer, lighter nights and a bit of warmth in the sun. 

Whilst the longer, warmer days may still be some time away, we can all still enjoy good times with family and friends. We know of no better way to do this than to cook up a delicious paella, plonk it in the middle of  the table and tuck in. The recipe is simple and the end result is tasty and nutritious.  All it needs to accompany is a nice salad, some crusty bread and something good to drink! The paella can be made for as many or as few people as you like and serving it up in the pan makes for less washing up!  This certainly beats the winter blues in our house!

Ingredients, pans and other equipment are all available on the web site!

http://www.spanishtradingco.co.uk/Mixed-Paella-info

Well Folks the 7th January has arrived and Christmas has been packed up and put away for another year. Sadly, we are now getting to the end of our lovely Iberico Ham.

We have spent many a happy hour over Christmas slicing and sharing this magnificent ham with family and friends. As we reach the bone, the little tasty scraps will be put to good use.  They can be added to lentil dishes and are lovely in a cheese sauce poured over some lightly steamed cauliflower.  We love them folded into some softly scrambled eggs.  Take a look at the recipe on our web site for details .http://www.spanishtradingco.co.uk/scrambled-eggs-with-jamon
There is a lot to look forward to as we enter the new year and we at the Spanish Trading Co. wish all our customers a very happy and prosperous 2014.

Sweet Treats For Christmas

Here at the Spanish Trading Co. we are really looking forward to the Christmas break. Christmas is a time for indulging in a few little treats and we have a some very special things to tempt you.

These dainty butter pastries (Nicanores) consist of layer upon layer of delicate pastry sprinkled with a little fine sugar.  They are extremely light and delicate, delicious with coffee or liqueurs.

http://www.spanishtradingco.co.uk/Sweets-and-Turron/spanish-sweets-and-chocolates/nicanores-(delicate-butter-pastries)-35

These little tins of chocolate buttons from Barcelona make a brilliant stocking filler.  They are made in a family owned factory that has been making fine chocolates for over 100 years. The little milk chocolate buttons are flavoured with caramel. Great for kids and adults alike.

http://www.spanishtradingco.co.uk/Sweets-and-Turron/spanish-sweets-and-chocolates/barcelona-chocolate-buttons

Spanish Sweet Treats For Christmas

Christmas is but a month away and here at the Spanish Trading Co. we are gearing up for a busy time.  Today we are getting ready today to receive our Christmas stocks of  Spanish sweets and treats.  We have a range of Turron from the Alicante region of Spain.  Made with local almonds, a little honey, sugar and egg white. This is traditionally eaten around Christmas time in Spain.  There are two main varieites of Turron.  The hard version is like a crunchy almond nougat and the soft version like a delicious almond paste.  Both come in large 300g and smaller 150g bars.  We also have a number of other varieties flavoured with things like whisky and also some chocolate varieties. We are stocking this year some delicious soft polvorones (powdery little biscuits) and some delicate butter pastries which are lovely as a Christmas treat. We have assorted nuts and dried fruits, all traditional Spanish Christmas goodies, and some lovely crunchy Cigarillo biscuits, great served with ice cream!  We also have some lovely chocolates from Barcelona presented in gorgeous tins, ideal for Christmas presents. Take a look at our web site for some inspiring Christmas ideas http://www.spanishtradingco.co.uk/Sweets-and-Turron