Entitled ‘in praise of pintxos’, the article focuses on the rich gastronomy of the city and its fame for high quality ingredients, simply cooked.

The Telegraph.co.uk as well as The Telegraph Weekend printed newspaper (Saturday 19th November) has published the fascinating article on Pintxos, gastronomic societies and the food culture of the Basques.  Xanthe Clay, the author of the piece for the newspaper’s food & wine pages, was introduced and exclusively guided by San Sebastian Food’s Jon Warren during her stay.  

"With my guide Jon Warren, who gave up a City career four years ago to set up San Sebastián Food, which runs small gastronomic tours, we dodged the rain showers to make a paseo, or bar crawl, of some of the best.”

The piece focuses on a guided tour of the city’s best pintxos bars as well as gastronomic societies, the Basque’s famous eating clubs which Xanthe was able to visit during her behind-the-scenes-tour with San Sebastian Food.  Less attention is made towards the famous Michelin star restaurants which often dominate reviews of the region, for which San Sebastian boasts a staggering three, 3-Michelin stars.

San Sebastian Food are well experienced in handling high profile food writers and international press.  Head chef Steve Allen from Gordon Ramsay’s landmark fine dining restaurant, Claridges is among previous clients of culinary guide Jon Warren.   Other chefs include Simon Gregory, head chef of Bread Street kitchen who remarked about his experience as “a fantastic experience both learning and tasting.”  

Jon and Co’s latest celebrity guest was Ireland’s Darina Allen of Ballymaloe Cooking School, who came for a whistle stop tour of San Sebastian in mid November.  He has also been assisting one of Spain’s top food and travel writers, Paul Richardson, author of many books including  ‘A late supper’.

Xanthe Clay’s Telegraph piece pays particular attention in her piece to hot pintxos which use fresh ingredients.   

"Evenings, however, are strictly men only, so we made for the bars instead. There were plates of pintxos already arranged on the counters, gleaming enticingly in the carefully positioned spotlights. Small red piquillo peppers stuffed with cod jostled with silver-skinned anchovies draped over circles of bread and mayonnaise, rolls filled with the dark air-dried ham, mushrooms wrapped in bacon. Warren ignored them. “The best pintxos are the ones that you order fresh,” he announced."

To read the article in full, click here.