Chartbusting Caterers: Breaking records and feeding thousands

A company in Alpujarra feeds thousands of people a day with delicious dishes cooked on-site. 

Paellas, gazpachos, stews and squid are just some of the many dishes Paellas Sierra Nevada cooks for thousands of people every day in XXL pans, breaking records and filling hungry stomachs. 

Paellas Sierra Nevada serves more than 250,000 people a year

The company, based in Ohanes, a municipality in Alpujarra, was founded in 2012 by Juan Sierra.

Motivated by Juan’s passion for cooking the company has grown rapidly to become the largest and most important catering company in the province, and arguably in Andalusia; on the last Andalusia Day, they served a whopping 13,500 portions between the provinces of Almeria, Granada, Malaga and Jaen. 

Paellas Sierra Nevada cooks paella in XXL pans and breaks gastronomical records

“Nobody cooks like that, or is capable of cooking for such volumes of people in pans, not in ovens,” Juan proudly proclaims.

Paellas Sierra Nevada has broken multiple records, including cooking the most litres of gazpacho, and the largest frita (a flour tortilla fried in oil, with 6,000 portions. 

The company have catered for several parties in the region and corporate events, serving 2,100 people at the last annual Vicasol gala, the largest catering event in Almeria.

Paellas Sierra Nevada is also gladly in charge of cooking 200 paellas for the Community of Water Users of the Region of Nijar (CUCN) social meals, serving more than 2,000 people and adding to the company’s list of challenges overcome.

Juan Sierra takes great pride in his company and his “family”

Juan explains the importance of this event to him and his colleagues, stating “when you cook 200 paellas at a time for the irrigators of Nijar, the reward and motivation for those of us who work in this company is not only the economic benefit, but being able to do something extraordinary that you don’t have the opportunity to do anywhere else but with us.”

Juan and his company take pride in their community, providing close to 70 people with permanent work and more than 200 when the demand calls for it, creating a “family” business as Juan describes, “When I say family, I mean that I consider the people of Ohanes and the nearby municipalities almost family”, emphasising the importance of job opportunity in the area “our families live off this because we are in a place where there is little work”.

In total, Paellas Sierra Nevada feeds more than 250,000 hungry people a year.

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