Last week, on the evening of Thurday 8th of November 2018 the Spanish Chamber of Commerce in the United Kingdom celebrated its IX Annual Gala Dinner at Banking Hall in the City of London.
Almost 250 guests attended the dinner that was presided by H. E. Ambassador of Spain Carlos Bastarreche who welcomed Mr. Francisco Riberas, chairman of Gestamp, as the Guest of Honour for the evening.
The black tie event started with a drinks reception in the chic Counting Room, which was kindly supported by Chamber patrons Raventós Codorníu and Ibérica Restaurants and our member Hispania. Our guests were offered a glass of wine or Anna Blanc de Blancs cava and had the opportunity to meet and catch up with each other over a selection of delicious freshly cut Ibérico ham and Spanish cheeses.
Following the drinks reception, our toast master gave the call and guests were ushered down the main staircase to their tables in the stunning Banking Hall. Once everyone had taken their seats, the Ambassador led a toast to the King of Spain and the Queen of England each in turn, during which each national anthem was played.
Following the toasts, everyone proceeded to enjoy a delicious three course feast which fused traditional British cuisine with subtle Spanish touches. To begin, guests enjoyed salmon & cucumber with Almeria capers followed by lamb and mint with pimientos del piquillo, before rounding off the meal with tempranillo poached pears with ginger. The banquet was perfectly complemented by the Raimat Saira Albariño and Viño Pomal Reserva Centenario wines provided by Raventós Codorníu.
Following the dessert, once the teas and coffees had all been served the speeches were able to begin which were introduced by the toast master. The President of the Spanish Chamber of Commerce Mr. Eduardo Barrachina was first to speak, during which he showed his gratitude to all the Chamber members in attendance with corporate tables for the institutional support and commitment they continue to provide to forming a stronger Chamber. He also emphasised that the links between Spain and the United Kingdom are “so strong that we are confident that in spite of the obvious obstacles in the upcoming months, the bilateral relationship will remain firm”.
The Spanish Ambassador was next to speak, highlighting the continued prosperity of Spain’s economy. Finally, the Guest of Honour Francisco Riberas, chairman of Gestamp, took to the stage to describe both the disruptions and many opportunities that the automotive sector will face around CASE and the UK, and how Spain should be in a position to take advantage of it and lead the change.
The dinner drew to a close late in the evening, with a pleasant and memorable evening appeared to have been had by all. We would like to warmly thank our members and their guests for joining us on this special occasion which has marked the end of another year full of diverse and successful Chamber activities. Once again, we would moreover like to express our gratitude to our generous sponsors Raventós Codorníu, Ibérica and Hispania for their contribution with the wines, cheese and ham which were served throughout the event.
Please click here to access the complete gallery of pictures of the IX Gala Dinner. You can also access a short video summary of the event by clicking here.
For further information about the Chamber’s events, do not hesitate to visit the Upcoming Events section of our website www.spanishchamber.co.uk or subscribe to our biweekly newsletter.
