On 14th November the Spanish Chamber of Commerce hosted its Annual Gala Dinner, presided by H.E. Ambassador of Spain Carlos Bastarreche at the elegant Plaisterers’ Hall in the City of London.
On this occasion we were honoured to welcome Mr. José Antonio Álvarez, CEO of Banco Santander Group, as our Guest of Honour.
The event was an absolute success that gathered together almost 300 guests, who enjoyed a memorable evening of networking and meeting other Chamber members over some delicious food and drinks.
As the elegantly dressed guests arrived on the evening they were welcomed by the Chamber’s team as well as the Toast Master who guided them to the drinks reception, where they were able to enjoy an exquisite selection of sushi, prepared freshly in front of them by our sponsors ZELA London; as well as a cold glass of smooth cava provided by Chamber Patron Raventos Codorniú.
After the drinks reception had been an hour underway, our Master of Ceremonies called for the guests to start moving to their tables in the expansive and impressive Great Hall. After everyone had found and taken their seats, the Ambassador stood to give a toast to both the King of Spain and the Queen of England.
Following the toast, the guests proceeded to enjoy a fine three courses feast which was perfectly complemented by the top quality wines from our Patron Marqués de Cáceres. To begin, guests enjoyed crab meat croquette served with a piquillo pepper puree followed by the main course of neck of lamb with a Spanish red wine reduction. The banquet was perfectly concluded with a spiced plum & Spanish almond tart, served alongside a decadent and irresistible cheese selection which was generously provided by our member Hispania.
Following the dessert and once the coffees and petits fours had been served, the speeches were able to begin which were introduced by the toast master.
«This Chamber is a faithful reflection of the excellent bilateral relations between our two countries in economic, cultural, commercial, educational and financial aspects” highlighted the CEO, adding that «I’m optimistic about the future of both countries. I am confident our citizens, companies and even our governments will embrace change, adapting to the quickly evolving world to better face our global challenges».
The President of our Chamber, Mr. Eduardo Barrachina went on to comment on Santander’s journey in the UK: «very few companies have changed British life as much as Santander. It remains one of the most profitable and efficient banks in the world employing more than 25,000 people and providing financial services to more than 25 million».
Following the dinner guests were able to continue the festivities over drinks at the bar, resulting in a late finish but a pleasant time being had by all. We would like to warmly thank our members and their guests for joining us on this special 10th edition of our annual Gala Dinner.
Once again, we would moreover like to express our gratitude for the generosity of our sponsors Raventós Codorníu, Marqués de Cáceres, Hispania Restaurant and ZELA London for their contribution to the resounding success of this event. We are already looking forward to next year’s edition!
Did you miss the X Gala dinner? You can find here the full photo album from this event.
To find out about upcoming events organised by the Spanish Chamber of Commerce in the UK, click here.