Always up for a little office competition and having spent endless Sunday afternoons watching ‘Come Dine with Me’ we didn’t think twice about accepting our colleagues suggestion to take part in our very own version of the TV classic. Plus it meant eating good food and trying some new wines-we couldn’t say no!
First up was Lisa and colleagues Rochelle (spot her on our clothing blog for top style suggestions) and Entertainment marketing manager Katie. 2 months ago we were all terrified as the team seemed to have hugely elaborate plans and seemed confident of victory. However we all know how quickly time passes and before we knew it, it was 2 days before ‘dine with me’ day & the team had no menu, no food bought and no real idea what to do. A few hasty meetings later the team were back on track, with a 3 course Spanish menu, which had a staggering 3 dishes in every course. (Check out the impressive menu below) and even better ..a great selection of Spanish wines to drink alongside the tapas!
Struggling to get out the office the ‘guests’ managed to turn up 30 minutes late, however the hosts were calm, enjoying their non-alcoholic punch whilst putting the finishing touches to the table and hanging the piñata. The Marquis de Monestrol was a great drink to be welcomed with, well chilled it was deliciously refreshing after a long day in the office.
We then tucked into the trio of soups, being careful not to fill up on the selection of fresh breads since we had caught sight of the epic main courses that awaited us! When the main course arrived we opened a white riojca , this allowed us to explore a wine that none of us were hugely familiar with but was also a great match for the garlic prawns. For those who preferred red we had 2 real classic’s –the Gran Fabrica Reserva that went perfectly with Rochelle’s giant meatballs in a spicy Spanish sauce (plus it’s on half price at the moment!) and the Agoston Tempranillo & Cabernet blend.
The sheer volume of food consumed meant we needed a brief respite, which came in the form of ‘juan’ our sweetfilled piñata, who we all eagerly tried to smash with a rolling-pin! Exercise over, it was time for dessert and Katie had crafted a trio of delicious delights, which included her home-brown brownies made from a top secret recipe and a special meringue topped with popping candy. The Marques de Monistrol Rose was a perfect match for these fabulous deserts, the delicate pink colour a result of a blend of the Spanish Monasrell grape and Pinot Noir.
By 11pm we had to reluctantly call it a night with a mad dash to make last trains. The rest of us are now terrified at the prospect of having to compete with the high standards set by the team!
If you’re fan of Spanish wines what’s your favourite match or have you taken part in a come dine with me if so let us know your top tips-or tipples! For recipes check out Real Food
