Mallorca has its own traditional rice dishes, but paella – which originated in Valencia – is the dish many people seek out when they come to the island. You can find some well-made paellas in restaurants in Mallorca, but learning how to make it yourself is a useful skill to take back home to impress family and friends.

Paella Workshop & Lunch in the Countryside

The beautiful 5-star boutique hotel Finca Ca’n Beneït, nestling in the foothills of the Serra de Tramuntana in the hamlet of Binibona, is offering a paella workshop and lunch every Tuesday – for hotel guests and also members of the public. The cost is 60€ a head (not including drinks).

Chef Raúl Linares leads the workshop, sharing tips and tricks for making the dish. As a big fan of paella and someone who cooks it at home from time to time, I was keen to raise my paella-cooking game – and the workshop was the perfect excuse to return to Ca’n Beneït.

We met up with Raúl and sommelier Amy Dunn (who served the drinks for lunch and also acted as translator) at one o’clock in the estate’s tafona. This is where the finca’s olives are pressed into the hotel’s luscious extra virgin oil.

Another couple who were on holiday in Mallorca from Seattle, USA, also took part. They were great fun and fortunate to be staying in the hotel for a week, having arrived only the evening before.

We were each loaned an apron and hat to wear (it’s still hot here) and a basket and knife for the first part of the experience: harvesting items to make our own salad to accompany the paella. Raúl and Amy gave us a tour of the hotel’s several raised vegetable beds and impressive orchard. We were allowed to pick whatever we wanted and The Boss and I chose several varieties of tomato, some herb and curly kale leaves for our own salad.

Having been impressed by the plantains and avocados also growing in the citrus orchard, it was time to head to the raised, covered terrace of the Mirabona Restaurant, where two tables had been set for us. Roasted almonds, local cheeses, and olives were on the table for nibbling while the workshop took place. Amy served us a refreshing gazpacho that Raúl had made that morning.

Chopping boards and knives told us there was work to do: Raúl needed volunteers to dice onions and red and green peppers, and to slice squid tubes. Then we prepared our salads from the harvested crops (after Raíl had taken them to be washed).

Veg prep done, it was time to start cooking the paella. I’m not going to give away Raúl’s tips here, but, suffice to say, the finished seafood paella was one of the tastiest I’ve eaten. We ended a leisurely and informative lunch with two types of melon, and coffee. During the lunch, Amy served us water and a rosado wine made from the Gorgollosa grape – a recovered Mallorcan variety – on a private finca in Alaró.

The good news is that we didn’t have to wash up after our lunch! The Boss and I found a quiet and shady corner to relax and enjoy the exceptional views for a while before we headed home again. The next time I make a paella at home, I’ll be modifying my technique after Raúl’s workshop. Thanks, Chef!

Good to Know

If you want to enjoy this Paella Workshop & Lunch on a Tuesday, you do need to book your place(s) through Finca Ca’n Beneït’s website or by telephoning the hotel.

Mirabona Restaurant’s opening hours in summer are Monday to Thursday 18:00h-22:00h; Friday to Sunday, 13:00h-22:00h.

Interestingly, the hotel’s Mirabona Restaurant doesn’t have paella on its seasonal à la carte menu!

Jan Edwards ©2024