In 2007 Julian and Conche agreed to produce the Orce Fire chorizo for us, an immediate hit with Orce Serrano Hams customers. Production to begin with was small but due to the hand made nature of the sausages they were happy to produce any amount we required. Always happy to help this family run business has seen both television film crews, authors and journalist pass through their shop and production facilities which is why it's a good job they are not camera shy!

Serrano hams are hung from floor to ceiling, carefully being tended to by the resident "maestro secadero" a man who's skill at judging weight and quality is quite uncanny. There are few who are permitted to enter the depths of the secadero so we naturally felt quite privileged on our initial visit. Impressive to say the least, although Granadinos is now a large concern there is a strong emphasis on tradition, with this comes Serrano hams of the very highest quality.

Ovalo supply us with some very fine salchichon which is regarded as one of the best local sausages, they also make a very fine chorizo as well as a special "lomo de Orza" which is lightly fried cubes of pork tenderloin preserved in extra virgin olive oil. Another Spanish family business that takes enormous pride in the production method and overall quality of its products.

Unfortunately no cameras where allowed as production is a closely guarded secret due to the uniqueness of the end product - this is the type of business we adore and fully respect the secrecy! Granadul do however boast no less than three eating establishments in their town, the hams hang high (pictured right) from the ceiling and the tapas are, of course sublime. Just when you thought the Spanish Serrano ham could not get any better - this unique supplier in the Sierras delivers an exquisite ham with striking characteristics in the flavour department.

To the front of the shop come production area you walk past an array of enormous reclaimed wine vats and all manner of other ceramics all waiting for restoration. Upon entering the building Jaun Manual is behind his work bench head to toe in clay concentrating on his latest piece. The range of finished product is quite astonishing - all hand made, dried and glazed. This is the kind of place that unless you knew was there you would walk straight past so a joy to find. Juan Manuel now supplies some of his hand crafted ceramics to Orce Serrano Hams and can even make or paint designs to order.

Where quality matters Antonio is the man to speak to especially when it comes to bacalao (salt cod) and mojama (cured tuna loin). Above the fresh fish counter hang prime examples of cured salt cod ranging from 750g to very large 2kg fish. Unlike other salt cod these are personally chosen by Antonio himself from a curing house who then sells them in any size you may wish to purchase. Pescaderia Molina also supplies the delicious "Bonito del Norte", full fish presented on bamboo racks or moist tenderloin to make the perfect seafood tapas.

Rodrigo has lived in Guadix all of his life so there are very few people he doesn't know. A vital source of local information, without Rodrigo Juan Manuel's ceramics for example would not be available to customers in the UK, the artisan quesos de llayva would never have been discovered and Serrano hams from Granadul would still be unavailable. Nacex provide a service to which all other Spanish couriers strive to meet and we are very pleased to have them on board and to deliver your purchases in a timely fashion.

Of course at Christmas time many of the more popular producers introduce special offers and in some cases free gifts, all of which we pass onto you the customer. Manolo and Marie (seen here having a fun time with some wine!) run Uribe in nearby Huescar town and are always happy to help in sourcing those hard to find products ranging from special brand torrefacto coffees, wines, spirits and various Iberian cured meats.

Particular attention to detail goes into the cheese production, the spotlessly clean machinery is a sign of the modern age but old traditional practice is still present. Flavour is unique, a medium strength cheese which goes down exceptionally well with full bodied reds and of course, a good jamon.

Their products are manufactured to traditional artisanal methods while maintaining the highest standards of quality and hygiene under the supervision of the "maestro jamonero". Interibericos have some very special hams indeed including the enviable Jamon Iberico de Bellota Denominacion de Origen, Pedroches being one of only four regions in Spain awarded the "d.o" stamp. It is even said that all Iberian pigs today originate from the Pedroches area as in days gone by secaderos from other regions would buy in their Iberian hogs from the Pedroches valley. Tradition has been passed down through the generations and today, Interibericos are regarded as one of the finest producers of Iberico hams in the world today.

Pilar Esteban-Ordorica was born in Vallodolid, Spain, and studied design, graphic arts and photography at the West Surrey College of Art and Design in Farham, Surrey (England).

In 1984, she settled in Marbella on the Costa del Sol and built a professional career amongst important clients in the hotel and tourism sector. She received the AMECO business award for work in design and photography dedicated to promotion of tourism in Marbella. She was the editorial designer of Lookout magazine for two years.

In 2001 she moved to the Costa Tropical of Granada, where she edited the first touristic magazine of this area, Tropical Coast, with up-to-date news, interviews and reports in Spanish and English. Since then, she has done corporate image work with companies, political parties, cultural institutions and other clients. Currently, Pilar Esteban is immersed in finishing a book of photos from La Herradura, Puerto Punta de la Mona and Marina del Este (Granada coast). She continues to design touristic promotions for Marbella.

Having been involved in designing houses, gardens and orchards, she also produces photo reportages about fruits, vegetables and tropical plants for specialized publications and businesses connected to the food business.
Welcome to the world of Spanish ham!

Following these step-by-step guidelines from master ham slicers, you will learn how to correctly slice and serve both Serrano and Ibérico hams. Along the way you will experience the pleasures of ham-textures, aromas and flavours-as the fine art of slicing is revealed.

The idea for this book, The Fine Art of Slicing Spanish Ham, was conceived in March of 2008, when I took a course in ham slicing given by José Ángel Muñoz. People from all over Spain-some of them culinary professionals, others from varied professions-attended the course.

For me, eating good ham was already like taste therapy. But the experience of seeing myself for the first time, knife in hand, in front of a whole Serrano ham, about to take the slicing exam, (as well as some other curiosities that happened along the way that weekend), brought me to the conclusion that an instruction book on slicing was needed in today's market and in the daily lives of ham lovers like myself.

Acknowledging that a picture is worth a thousand words, I have conceived a book that is essentially visual. It is a user's manual that describes slicing in a direct style, with the colloquial language used in the profession, just as if you were attending a class with the maestro, José Ángel.

Aceites Guirado Noguera is a family run business based in the beautiful Natural Park of the Sierra Cazorla in Jaen. The family, who are dedicated to producing the finest oil in the world, has been producing some of the finest extra virgin olive oil for over three generations and their oil is recognised throughout Spain and as far away as Tokyo and Dubai.

The oil comes from the picual variety of olive found in the Natural Park which are carefully selected for quality and then the family meticulously extract and bottle the exquisite oil using only mechanical processes. The whole process is strictly controlled and their oil has been awarded the “Denomination of Origin” quality seal of approval by the regulatory council, ‘Sierra de Cazorla’ which guarantees quality. Orce Serrano hams customers can choose from the beautifully presented Sierra de Cazorla Gourmet and the Sierra de Cazorla, both exquisite extra virgin olive oils.

We are pleased to offer Arcos quality professional kitchen and ham carving knives designed to enhance your ham carving experience and ensure success in the kitchen. All the Arcos knives and accessories we feature are a result of extensive research and expertise, made from forged stainless steel and with a 10 year guarantee, they bring stylish, elegant and practical design into your kitchen. We have chosen a selection of professional and practical knives from the Arcos range to suit all our customers’ needs.

All of the hams and embutidos are produced by hand following traditional methods and recipes. Torrente hand pick orders especially for our customers and we take deliveries twice a week. We are pleased to offer their Serrano ham ‘curado’ which is a new ham for us this year and also the 20 month cured Serrano ham ‘gran reserva’ which has proved very popular with Orce Serrano Hams customers since we introduced it in 2010. Some of their embutidos we feature are the chorizo redondo, chorizo cantimplano and the salchichon a la pimienta all of which are exclusive to Orce Serrano hams customers as they are unavailable elsewhere outside of Spain so you can be sure you are receiving a unique piece of Spain when you choose any of these items.

The business itself has grown from a small ‘alfereria’ to a large concern over the past two centuries but it is quite noticeable that artesania and quality is still at the forefront of Juan’s operation with quality checking in place (performed by Juan’s brother) and an efficiency which sets a standard in the industry. Each piece of ceramic from small tapas bowls to more elaborate pieces are individually hand painted, a process requiring a high degree of speed and skill. Juan explained that his ceramics are widely regarded as some the finest produced out of Spain and with an operation to back this up we were more than happy to begin stocking his range which are available in an astounding variety of designs and colours. View some of Juan’s Jaen range here.