Hola! I'm David Sanz

I was born in Barcelona and later moved to Valencia at the age of 15. Valencia is known as the capital of Paella, where friends and family play an important role in our daily lives.

Life in Castelló de Rugat:

During my summers in Castelló de Rugat, I experienced the yearly celebration of the town. This celebration includes music and various events, with one of the most important events being the Paella gathering. In this event, everyone cooks paella on the streets with their friends and family, and the council provides all the ingredients.

Journey to London:

Due to various circumstances, I decided to move to London to learn English. To begin with, I worked as a kitchen porter in a Japanese restaurant, as my English skills were not good enough. Eventually, I started doing food preparation and attending English classes in the morning and working at the restaurant in the evenings.

Career in Cooking:

After improving my English, I enrolled in Hackney Community College, where I obtained an NVQ level 2 in professional cooking. This led me to become a chef in a cocktail bar named Nightjar in Old Street, which mainly served Spanish tapas. I also sold deep-fried calamari, tempura prawns, and sausage rolls in the famous Flower Market at Columbia Road.

Starting the Paella Business:

After conducting market research, I found a space available in Portobello market to sell my paella. Initially, I had two varieties, seafood and Valenciana, but eventually added a vegan version and a chorizo version upon customer demand. As my business grew, I received a request to cater to a private event for 250 guests, which led to more private event bookings. Consequently, I created a website with the help of my friend Augusto, where people can hire my paella catering services for private events.