My blogs

Tales from Los Gatos

About me

Location	Swindon, Wiltshire
Introduction	In April 2006, we opened Los Gatos in Swindon, with no professional experience, just a love of food and a passion for sharing it. We spent months researching Spanish recipes and ingredients, cooking, eating, tasting and trying again. We travelled to Spain and to any UK tapas bars that we could reach. We opened as an enthusiastic, naïve team, certain of doom and humiliation. From our first week we were packed every night and much of the day. The local paper ran a story and we had bookings months ahead. Behind the scenes, we were in a mess – we had no idea how to run a commercial kitchen! From 7am until 2 or 3 am, we cut and burned ourselves. BUT WE WERE HAVING SUCH FUN! IT WAS LIKE HAVING A PARTY EVERY NIGHT! After a while it got easier. We developed routines, found reliable suppliers, sorted out quantities, became more consistent. Nearly four years later, we are rated No. 1 restaurant in Swindon on Trip Advisor. We have made so many new friends. Most importantly, we are happy and proud to have created a place to eat decent simple food cooked from fresh ingredients with passion - and that enough people enjoy it and come back for more.

Location

Swindon, Wiltshire

Introduction

In April 2006, we opened Los Gatos in Swindon, with no professional experience, just a love of food and a passion for sharing it. We spent months researching Spanish recipes and ingredients, cooking, eating, tasting and trying again. We travelled to Spain and to any UK tapas bars that we could reach. We opened as an enthusiastic, naïve team, certain of doom and humiliation. From our first week we were packed every night and much of the day. The local paper ran a story and we had bookings months ahead. Behind the scenes, we were in a mess – we had no idea how to run a commercial kitchen! From 7am until 2 or 3 am, we cut and burned ourselves. BUT WE WERE HAVING SUCH FUN! IT WAS LIKE HAVING A PARTY EVERY NIGHT! After a while it got easier. We developed routines, found reliable suppliers, sorted out quantities, became more consistent. Nearly four years later, we are rated No. 1 restaurant in Swindon on Trip Advisor. We have made so many new friends. Most importantly, we are happy and proud to have created a place to eat decent simple food cooked from fresh ingredients with passion - and that enough people enjoy it and come back for more.