A New Voice for Evening Entertainment at the Oasis Restaurant

Phoebe at Sunset Beach Club

Phoebe

As frequent visitors to Sunset Beach Club know, we provide daily evening  entertainment in our Oasis Restaurant. We’re delighted to be able to introduce a new addition to the, already fantastic, line up of singers we have throughout the week: Phoebe!

Originally from Sheffield, this 28 year old vocalist has taken the Costa del Sol by storm and is already regarded as one of the best female voices on the local entertainment scene.

Phoebe began singing at the age of five. Apparently, from a young age, her dream was to play “Christine” in Andrew Lloyd Webber’s famous musical, “Phantom of the Opera”! Her parents obviously realized that their daughter had a special gift and didn’t hesitate to arrange singing lessons with, non other than, opera star Lesley Garret’s vocal coach.

With a singing repertoire ranging from 1950’s classic’s to present day favourites such as Whitney Houston, Alicia Keys or Leona Lewis, Phoebe’s live performances offer something for all musical tastes. Her voice has already been compared to world famous soprano, Sarah Brightman, so there’s no doubt that Phoebe will soon become a “favourite” amongst our guests here at Sunset Beach Club.

You can listen to Phoebe whilst enjoying one of our new set menus at the Oasis Restaurant every Thursday Evening from 8.30pm. Stop by and have a listen; you won’t regret it!

Photos from the New Year’s Eve Gala Dinner

The New Year’s Eve Gala Dinner which was held in the Oasis Restaurant was a great success! Over 150 guests enjoyed an evening of great food, live music and dancing to welcome the new year.

Our undercover reporter managed to take a few pictures of the evening which we have included in the gallery below. See for yourselves what was on the menu (the dessert looked particularly amazing!), photos from behind the scenes in the kitchen, and guests having a a great time!!!

Have you Tried the “Spicy” Tapas at This Years Erotic Tapas Route in Fuengirola?

Ruta de la Tapa Erotica Fuengirola

"Passport" for the event

For the 2nd Year running, the Town of Fuengirola has organised a slightly different and, should we say, risqué event: An Erotic Tapas Route! It was a great success last year so they decided to repeat and so far feedback has been great.

So what’s it all about? Well, the idea is to promote bars and restaurants in Fuengirola by adding a little fun to the traditional tapas experience. All participating establishments prepare an “erotic” tapa of their choice which customers can order as they make their way around Fuengirola on the tapas route. It’s incredible to see the imagination that goes in to some of these creations! The video below, although in Spanish, will give you an idea of what to expect as you visit the bars and restaurants taking place in the event.

If you are interested in participating, all you have to do is collect a “Passport” (see photo) which includes a map and all participating establishments. The aim is to get the passport stamped in at least 10 different establishments; once completed, you can write down your favourite tapa and then hand in the passport at the Fuengirola Tourist Office. Make sure you do this because everyone who hands in their passport gets a surprise gift (while stocks last) and also gets to enter into a fantastic prize draw. Prizes include the following: Cruises, LCD TV’s, Cameras, Hotel Stays, Lunch & Dinner vouchers and lots more!

Make sure you take a drive down to Fuengirola and take part in this fun event; you’ve got until Sunday the 21st November! Oh, I almost forgot, it’s only €1.50 for a tapa and a drink!

Sunset Beach Club Takes Part in Benalmadena Solidaria’s 1st Gastronomic Event

new dessert menu

Apple Cannelloni on a Mint Jelly....

Next Sunday the 14th November, Benalmadena Solidaria will hold its 1st Gastronomic Event at the Finca de Los Caballeros (The old “Club Hípico”). This charity lunch includes tasting of a selection of “pinchos & tapas” (these dishes enter a competition), a traditional cabbage dish will all the “trimmings”, and a dessert (you can see a photo of Sunset’s dish in the photo).

Apparently all 300 tickets that were made available for the event have been sold already! The proceeds will be used to feed families in need in the Benalmádena municipality.

Our team of chefs has prepared an interesting pincho for the event…….

“Boquerones filled with traditional porra (traditional dish made with red peppers, garlic, bread, tomato, olive oil, vinegar and anchovies) and served with a shot of ajo blanco (Cold soup made with almonds, garlic)”

Next week I’ll post photos of all the dishes; lets hope that they will be photos of the winning dishes!

The prizes for the establishments that prepare the best tapas are the following: 1st prize of €1000; 2nd prize of €500 and 3rd prize of €300. All entries will be judged on presentation, taste, creativity, quantity, value for money and the recipe description.

New Head Chef for Sunset Beach Club

Head Chef at Sunset Beach Club

Our New Head Chef - Paul Tugwell

We’re excited to announce the appointment of a New Head Chef at Sunset Beach Club, Paul Tugwell. Originally from Cardiff, Paul has been involved in the hotel and catering business for many years and will undoubtedly bring a wealth of experience to the team here at Sunset.

I had a chance to catch up with Paul earlier on in the week to find out a little bit more about him and what his plans are for Sunset’s kitchens; here’s a summary of what I found out:

Paul started his career by studying at the Barry Island Hotel School. After two years of intense training he headed off to London where he began work as a Commis Chef at the famous Savoy Hotel; it didn’t take long for Paul to establish himself as an integral part of the team, allowing him to work his way up to the position of Sous Chef in the 5 years he spent at the Savoy.

After an intense 5 years in London, it was time to move on and Paul spent the next 9 years in Bath; first at the Royal Crescent hotel and later at Combe Grove Manor. His time in Bath allowed Paul to learn, explore and apply new cooking techniques (this was at a time when Nouvelle Cuisine was revolutionising the industry).

In the mid 1980’s, family commitments – Paul’s wife is Spanish – meant it was time to move to Spain. The Costa del Sol was his chosen destination and has been his home ever since.

Since arriving on the Coast Paul has worked as Head Chef in several well known restaurants; however, one of his most challenging positions was when he was asked to become Head Chef and Lecturer at the Les Roches Hotel School in Marbella. For over 5 years he was responsible for training future hotel managers and chefs at this highly respected hotel school (I’ll tell you a secret……. he even trained our Operations Director, Miguel Marcos!).

For the past 5 years, Paul has been Head Chef at the boutique hotel, La Posada del Torcal, located in the mountains behind Málaga.

Now it’s time for a new challenge here at Sunset Beach Club! Wasting no time at all, Paul is already busy with several projects: The daily menus for half board guests are just about ready (I’ll be sure to post about them as soon as they are!) and the team are busy preparing two special dishes for a charity event and cooking contest next weekend; I’ve seen the dessert they have prepared at it looks fantastic!

The next objective is a completely new dessert menu…..ñuuuummm! I’ll definitely have to report back to you about those,; pictures and all!

Something to look forward to next summer is the plan to include a BBQ buffet in the evenings by the main pools. This will be a welcomed addition to the hotels dining facilities and will no doubt prove to be a hit.

Welcome to the team Paul! I look forward to tasting some one of those new desserts!

Torremolinos Hosts 11th Annual Wine Fair

Feria del Vino en TorremolinosWine lovers on the Costa del Sol are in for a treat this weekend as Torremolinos hosts the 11th Annual Wine Fair (from the 6th to the 8th November).

This event is the ideal platform for professionals and wine lovers to meet and talk about their passion. Visitors to the fair will also be able to enjoy an educational day out with the fair offering various learning spaces with presentations and wine tasting sessions conducted by well known professionals from the wine industry.

I’d like to highlight the following activities:

1)      Various conferences covering the subject of Mediterranean Food

2)      Wine Tasting Sessions; aimed at visitors who are keen to learn about the “ins and outs” of the wine industry, so important to Spanish and Mediterranean Culture.

3)      Cocktail exhibition and tasting session with Andalucian wines. The Association of Spanish Barmen (ABE) will be preparing 5 different cocktails created with 5 different wines; visitors will have the chance to taste their wonderful creations!

4)      Various competitions, including, the prize to the Best Young Sommelier of Andalucia

During the fair, there will be a daily prize draw for a weekend break for 2 people in a traditional Andalucian holiday destination. This fantastic prize includes 2 nights of accommodation including breakfast and an activity related to wine tourism in the area.

Anyone interested in attending can do so for just 3 Euros, payable at the entrance of the event at the Palacio de Congresos y Exhibiciones of the Costa del Sol.

Photo Credit: thebusybrain