Opening of Ambrosía Gourmet Market
AMBROSÍA, the first gourmet market in the Costa del Sol, was officially opened yesterday at a private launch party. The market opened its doors to the general public today and will be offering free beer and live music throughout the weekend to continue the celebrations.
The mayor of Marbella, José Bernal, wanted to give his support to the project by attending both the media presentation and the opening party, where he was in charge of cutting the official ribbon. At both events the mayor highlighted the importance of having a catering project of this size in Marbella, not just for its economic investment (that amounts to 1 million euros) but also for its impact on the labour market as it has already generated almost 100 jobs. He talked about how the project will boost Marbella’s image as an area of top-quality service, how it will break the trend by opening 365 days a year, and above all, how it will place Marbella on the national map in terms of gourmet-markets.
The private event was attended by over 400 guests who were lavished with beer from Estrella Galicia Bodega, as well as other drinks and tasters of delicatessen from the new multi-business. The guest list mainly consisted of people who are involved in the project, along with several important personalities from the province of Málaga. A number of institutional representatives were present at the event, including the vice-president of the Málaga county council, Francisca Caracuel and three councilors from the Marbella city council, Javier Porcuna, Ana Isabel González and Manuel García. The Honorary Consul from Hungary in Málaga, Patricio Baeza, also supported the opening of this initiative, since one of the AMBROSÍA partner’s is Hungarian. It should also be mentioned that the Argentinian footballer Martín Demichelis (current Manchester City defender) attended this event, accompanied by his wife Evangelina Anderson and their sons.
The party took place inside both the spacious market (approximately 1000 m2) and the terrace areas, and some of the market’s car park was used for the event. A jazz band brought life to the soiree, which went on until after midnight and ended with a special performance by the renowned artist Lexter. Hosting the event were AMBROSÍA co-founders Antonio Ortiz and Gabor Somlai, who also presented their multipurpose project to the media and food bloggers at a press release last week, announcing that there wasn’t long till to wait until the market was launched.
Ortiz y Somlai looked very happy during the event, satisfied with the warm welcome that AMBROSÍA had received, even before its opening, and expressed their desire for the market to become a ‘regular appointment in the food and leisure diary’ for both Spanish and international residents, as well as tourists in the city. They also made the following statements at the event: “Our aim is to give Marbella the opportunity to enjoy gourmet food and drink at a reasonable price, from breakfast to dinner, to be able to buy packaged products and take them home, like in any other traditional or contemporary market, to make a reservation in our restaurant with its set menu in which you can taste our products, and to do all of these things in a relaxed, friendly, cosmopolitan environment, with free cultural activities. We really hope that you like it. This concept has already been established in major cities like Barcelona, Madrid, Córdoba and Seville, and we think that it will fit in perfectly with the Mediterranean lifestyle as well”.
From today onwards, the market will be open 365 days a year, from 10am until 12 midnight, apart from weekends when it will open at 2pm.
