James Blick Devouring Spain one Bite at a Time

As part of their regular “Spanish Career” column, The Local chats to New Zealander James Blick and Lauren Aloise who run Devour Spain food tours in Madrid, Seville, Barcelona and Malaga.

Blick says he arrived in Spain by way of France.

“I often joke that I moved to France to meet French women, and I met a Spaniard,” Blick says. “My wife is from Madrid, and we came here in 2011 after a while living together in New Zealand. In the end, New Zealand was too quiet for us. We thrive on the gloriously erratic energy of this country.

“Spain is just a wonderful invigorating place to live. The people are welcoming, the country is so varied, the history fascinating, the food so good. And not only is the food good, but the way it’s regularly eaten – standing in busy bars, rubbing shoulders with strangers – that’s part of what makes the gastronomy so great.

“Lauren and I met on Facebook over a delicious plate of grilled sweetbreads (she posted a picture asking what they were and I was the only one to get it right). And I partnered with her in Madrid, designing our popular Tapas, Taverns & History Tour. And from just a couple of tours in Madrid, we now run over 20 different food and tapas tours a day in Madrid, Barcelona, Seville and Malaga, with more coming soon. We are constantly evolving and expanding our brand and are excited about the myriad of ways we can share Spain with our guests.

“When in Barcelona, you’ve got to try a bomba. And we believe we’ve found the best one. Or in Madrid, the cocido stew is iconic, and we take guests into the traditional kitchen at famous restaurant La Bola to taste it and see how it’s made the old way. But it’s about more than just the food. We partner with establishments that are unique, are family-run and are excited about sharing their food and their story with our guests.”

Blick is also a travel writer and hosts a popular YouTube channel about Spain.

Original article by The Local, June 20, 2016.