Showing posts with label Staff and people. Show all posts
Showing posts with label Staff and people. Show all posts

Monday, 30 March 2015

A Family Bussnes


The hotel has been running for many years as a small family business.
Here is a little about the personnal that make this special place the way it is.



Joann Burch

As you walk through the main door, Joe will probably be waiting for you, ready to greet any new guest, taking pride in making sure the place looks beautiful with the help of freshly cut flowers from her garden. If you need any ideas on where to go or just want to talk about what you would like to do, Joe listens carefully and will give you advise on how to make the most of your holiday. Her many years as a chef & restaurant manager are very useful assets for the kitchen team, where she helps and shares her experience on how to make the most of the seasonal products. Her favorite place and company is when she is gardening with her cats. Her motto: Relax & enjoy every moment.



Nigel Burch

Nigel has spent many years working in food production, specifically on growing vegetables. Nowadays he makes the most of his time so that he can keep fit and have opportunities to enjoy walking and continue exploring Asturias' huge potential for walkers. This has led him to cherish in depth knowledge of what the region has to offer walkers and how to run a small scale diverse farm. His general management work in the hotel is combined with advise for guests on walking opportunities that offer unique experiences of all the different landscapes Asturias has to offer.


Samantha Burch

Sam is one the Chefs at Hotel Posada del Valle's very special Kitchen. Her mission and joy is to be able to satisfy everyones food needs. She loves experimenting, however this doesn't stop her from being very organized. She enjoys baking and preparing vegetarian and vegan meals, and all she needs to do is close her eyes and she can see what vegetables are ready to pick in the garden. When she is not in the kitchen, you will probably find her gardening, felting or working on a new DIY skill. She also loves to escape and go for a walk, admiring the countryside, making the most of the mountains and coast.


Andrés Caso

Andrés brings to the kitchen his personal take on Asturian flavors, through his playful and creative knowledge of traditional cooking. He is a perfectionist that always takes pride in the presentation of food. Cooking is not his only skill, he loves mending many things, creating things and sometimes just for fun. He loves playing mind games, solving puzzles or his favorite hobby that he recommends to all the guests; simply relaxing and having a good time.


Mari Carmen Gutierrez

Mary Carmen is quite our own Mary Poppins, she does a bit of everything and is always ready to greet guests with a huge smile. Full of energy, she is up early before breakfast and her many years taking care of the hotel give her knowledge of all the little secrets of the place. She knows every single hidden corner, how everything works and is always willing to solve anything. Whenever it is the right moment she is off dancing or spending a great time with her family. She has lived many years in Collía and is very proud of it.



Patricia Gutierrez

Patricia is cheerful and always ready for action with a gentle presence, she is happy welcoming and accommodating guests, also helping in the kitchen and taking care of the rooms. She adapts well to the unforeseen, giving welcolme support. She loves working in a friendly environment and certainly contributes to it with a smile and a joke. Her passion is her son, Carlos and she shares her free time between her hobbies: music, literature, cross-stitching and having a coffee with friends. Patricia loves the area where she was born.."sometimes you don't have to go very far to discover new places, you can just wonder around the beautiful Hotel farm"




Lidia Fanjul

Lidia's down to earth attitude to learning makes her the ideal teacher to help people discover new talents learning Spanish or new art techniques. Born in Asturias, in the city of Aviles, she now lives in the countryside, where she can develop her passion for nature and traditional culture. You can meet her in one of our Language immersions or Art workshops. She loves helping others feel comfortable while exploring and doing new things. When not at work she enjoys painting, spending time with friends and travelling. Her holiday recipe is to find the right balance between exploring new places and taking the right time for yourself.



Sebastian Burch

If there is a course going on, or you go for a walk round the farm you will probably meet Seb in one of his many versatile roles. Passionate about ecology and self sufficiency, he works part time on the farm, helping his father out with the endless tasks there always are on the land. Also a bit of an IT geek he works on the website and on-line marketing, but he is most happy when he is organizing and facilitating non formal learning experiences. A passionate believer in communities power of change he enjoys new projects and playing with ideas and solutions that care for people and planet. When it comes to discovering new places his motto is: take it slow and be mindful of how the landscape makes you feel.

Saturday, 31 May 2014

New Cookery workshops


We have been running cookery workshops at the hotel for over 5 years, and with the experience we have gained plus the feedback from participants we are now going to be offering three different one day workshops;
  • Asturian cuisine
  • Farm to fork
  • Posada del Valle's Food Specials

All the courses are informal and hands on, and each course will be led by a different chef from the hotel. There are three special chefs at Hotel Posada del Valle, each one with a different interest and experience in cooking

Andrés preparing "tortas"
Asturian cuisine; Chef Andrés Caso. 
Andres is from Cangas de Onis and comes from a family of farmers who also used to make the local blue Gamonedo cheese. He studied cooking in Asturias and has been working in the hotel for 5 years. In this food experience Andrés will take you on a tour of a local food market (or around some local shops if there is no market that day) and explain a little about the Asturian food culture. 

The sunday food market at Cangas de Onis
Then you will be cooking such typical dishes as Fabada Asturiana (bean stew,) tortas (maize pancakes) and a tortilla de patata (Spanish omelet.) You will then have time to sit down and enjoy all you have cooked with a glass of local cider.


Samantha examining some of the farm produce
Farm to fork; Chef Samantha Burch 
Samantha was born in Alicante but has lived in Asturias for the last 18 years. She is an excellent self taught chef specializing in vegetarian food. Her particular interest is in vegetarian and vegan food and the creative use of local and home grown produce. In this work shop you will have a guided visit of the hotel vegetable garden, help pick some of the produce and then subsequently use it in different imaginative ways. 

Participants with their freshly picked produce

Imaginative recipes making the most of the home grown produce
The particular recipes will depend on the time of year and what’s growing on the farm and of course there will be time to sit down and enjoy the food you have prepared with a drink.

Joann in the kitchen talking about food
Posada del Valle's Food SpecialsChef JoAnn Burch 
JoAnn studied cooking and worked as a chef in many different countries before starting the restaurant at the hotel. Due to her experience, talent and work the restaurant has gained the fame it is now renowned for. She has also trained other chefs who have come to work and learn about the local and organic food we produce at the hotel. 


Joann demonstrating how to make a roulade
In this workshop you will learn how to prepare some of the most popular dishes served at Hotel Posada del Valle as well as some different techniques which can be used to create a variety of recipes. At the end of the morning there will be the chance to sample the food you have prepared with a glass of wine.

Fun time learning
Join us on one of these courses and discover "what is behind the scenes" when cooking local, organic and wholesome meals at Hotel Posada del Valle. We have a special marked date for each experience; if you are interested in other dates please contact us. For all courses there will be a minimum of two participants and a maximum of six. 

Beneath is a resume of these three cookery workshops with prices and dates and on our web you will find information about the other courses we are offering.




Asturian cuisine; Chef Andres Caso. 
Enjoy learning about Asturian local food.

Program of activities
09.30 -11.30 guided visit to local market or shops
11.30 – 14.30 preparing local dishes; fabada, Spanish omelet, maize pancakes
14.30 – 15.30 enjoying the food you’ve prepared.

Price 45,00 Euros / person Fixed date 30th of August; for other dates please consult us


Farm to fork; Chef Samantha Burch 
Learn about home grown vegetables and how to use them in imaginative cooking
Program of activities
09.30 – 11.00 guided tour of the hotel vegetable garden and harvesting of ingredients for cooking
11.00 – 14.00 preparing a variety of vegetarian dishes from the freshly harvested produce
14.00 – 15.30 enjoying the food you’ve prepared

Price 40,00 Euros / person Fixed date 21st of September; for other dates please consult us


Posada del Valle's Food SpecialsChef Joann Burch 
Learn how to prepare some of the most popular dishes served at Hotel Posada del Valle
Program of Activities
10.30 – 14.00 Preparing a variety of dishes and learning different cooking techniques 
14.00 – 15.30 enjoying the food you’ve prepared

Price 40,00 Euros / person Fixed date 27th of September; for other dates please consult us



Tuesday, 26 February 2013

Samantha and Andres's Wedding


Samantha and Andres cutting the wedding cake.
This last weekend was a very special weekend for us as Samantha our daughter got married to Andres. The ceremony took place in the town hall in Arriondas, the reception at the Restaurant el Coral del Indiano in Arriondas and the evening party at the hotel. Here are a few photos;


Preparing the flowers outside the hotel ready for the wedding



Sebastian our son with Samantha outside the hotel before the service

Samantha about to be driven down to Arriondas
Newly married and just coming out of the registry office
Samantha with Joe, Lidia (Sebastian's partner) and Paloma a good friend of the family
Andres and Samantha walking to the recepcion with their friends Dianna and Alberto
A very special meal in the Corral del Indiano where, amongst many other dishes, they served us our Xalda lamb
Friends and family having a rest after the meal in the hotel lounge before the evening party.
The first dance of the evening
Every one having a good time as the night went on

So thanks to everyone who came to the wedding, to all those who helped in making it such a fabulous day and our very best wishes to Samantha and Andres for a wonderful future together.

Welcome

Hotel Posada del Valle is a small hotel in Asturias Northern Spain surrounded by its own organic farm and where we are passionate about organic farming, food, and sustainable livelihoods. In this Blog those of us who live and work at Hotel Posada del Valle open a door to share with all of you who are interested in what we are doing.