Carola Smits, a successful entrepreneur and trained culinary artist, recently moved with her husband to Moraira on Spain’s Costa Blanca. Ever since she first set foot in the region, Carola Smits has been captivated by the upbeat atmosphere there. With her company La Sobremesa, she offers catering services for weddings, business meetings and family celebrations, where her intimate and warm way of cooking is simply irresistible. Let’s keep an eye on Carola’s generous interpretation of cooking, which focuses on using local ingredients, reducing food waste and creating an atmosphere that fosters connection and community and promises to be trailblazing.
Carola’s preference for Mediterranean and Middle Eastern dishes stems from her Dutch and Indonesian heritage. Her father, a gifted Dutch home chef, instilled in her a love of culinary arts and a taste for oriental flavours. His cooking technique was influenced by the presence of numerous Chinese chefs in Rotterdam in the 1970s and 1980s and remains an inspiration to her today, as does the culinary heritage of her husband’s large Indonesian family. Through these connections, Carola developed a very personal vision of food: in all cultures, it is always been at the centre of life-changing events and celebrations, including births, marriages, losses, joy, and sadness.
Despite her unarguable success as a business consultant, Carola realized a few years ago that it was time to give her chef’s life the full spotlight. And that’s how La Sobremesa was born!
La Sobremesa offers a perfect get-together for smaller groups as well as larger events for business, family, weddings, or other occasions. Carola’s goal is to create an indefectible bond around her dishes and make her clients’ stay on the Costa Blanca even more delightful and memorable. And this is how she works her magic: Carola’s unique energy is undoubtedly part of it. Her clients call her the “Chef in Heels” because she likes to wear high heels while cooking. Carola’s clients gave her this endearing nickname, which she wears with pride. Three principles guide her both in her work and in life: passion for what she does, friendship with the people she serves, and the ability to improve the lives of others.
She also uses local ingredients to create unique flavours that enhance her customers’ dining experience. Carola’s cooking philosophy is based on the principles of cooking with what you have, not what you don’t, and limiting food waste by using virtually all ingredients in their entirety.
Carola nurtures a very intimate and generous vision of cooking: she believes that food has the power to bring people together and improve their quality of life not only physically, but also emotionally. She believes that meals are an opportunity for good conversation, and she loves to create an ambiance that fosters connection and community. Carola’s business, La Sobremesa, is named after one of the most beautiful words in the Spanish language. Sobremesa means “on the table” and is a figurative expression for enjoying the evening with family and friends after a good meal. Carola believes that good conversation happens naturally during a meal or while preparing it, and she loves to “put things on the table,” both literally and figuratively, just as beautiful dishes and ceramics can add colour and charm to a meal.
In addition to catering services, Carola offers fun and interactive cooking classes for groups of all ages. She shares her stories, knowledge, and experience with children, friends, men, and women, and encourages her clients to embrace their passion for cooking too.
Contact Carola today and discover the joy of cooking to create unforgettable experiences:
+34658827527
info@lasobremesa.life
Rada de Moraira, Alicante – Spain
Instagram @lasobremesalife