Sophie Farrah meets Monika Linton, founder of Brindisa and the woman responsible for bringing sensational Spanish food to the UK.
The who, what and why?
Monika Linton founded Brindisa in 1988 when knowledge of Spanish gastronomy was almost non-existent in the UK. Today, it is an empire encompassing several popular Spanish restaurants and shops across London, a newly renovated deli in Balham and a huge wholesale business. Yet, despite being widely considered the woman who made Britain fall in love with Spanish food, Monika’s initial love for the country was not sparked by the edible.
“I actually came at it through language. Spanish was my favourite subject at school. Boarding school in the 80s was strict, and Spanish had this wildness. It was liberating.”
CHLOE HALL
After graduating with a Spanish degree, Monika lived in Spain for three years before returning to the UK to pursue a career. Meanwhile, in Barcelona, her brother had begun importing Stilton and Scottish smoked salmon to Spanish epicures. In return, he sent Monika a handful of local cheeses and wines for her to try selling in the UK. With a grin, she explains:
“We were like crusaders, opening the doors to Spain..."Back then, Spain wasn’t really represented in Britain at all. Then it became a member of the EU, and in 1992, there was the Olympics in Barcelona and the Seville World Trade Fair, so our timing was lucky, and we were the only people doing it, really.”
Giles Christopher @ Giles Christopher
The rise of Brindisa
Soon, Monika sold her artisan produce to dozens of businesses and big-name chefs nationwide. In 1996, she opened one of the very first retail outlets in London’s iconic Borough Market. It was (and still is) an entirely Spanish food shop. Eight years later, in 2004, she initially took on another space nearby to sell Spanish ham and cheese, but when Monika realised it had restaurant use, she decided to open a tapas bar instead.
“It has been a rollercoaster led by hope – blind hope!"
It’s certainly paid off – Monika’s first restaurant was an instant success, and in 2021, Brindisa (the word ‘brindis’ means to raise one’s glass in a toast) opened its sixth site and first restaurant outside central London, in Richmond.
“Having lived in Barnes as a student, walking around Richmond Park and along the river was always something that I loved...We look for sites that stand out and inspire us. It’s a gut reaction, rather than anything strategic. We’re not a chain that feels they’ve got to cover every postcode in three years, that’s not how we function.”
The secret of Brindisa’s success, she believes, lies in the calibre of its ingredients, ingredients which, over the years, she has travelled far and wide to the source. When starting in predigital days, she would have to write to the Spanish Embassy to request a list of who was making what in Spain. The world may have moved on since then, but her passion for produce remains unchanged.
“That’s what has always got me going – discovering craft and artisan food makers, bean growers, garlic farmers, cheese makers. I am very beady-eyed – I can’t stop looking, even now. “I love that my job has taken me to all these different parts of Spain, to areas I would never have gone to had it not been for the fact that at the end of that road, there was an amazing cheesemaker or an incredible olive grove."
"I love all these pathways that I’ve walked down across Spain, and I want to take customers on that journey with me, through the shops and restaurants.”
Giles Christopher
Regarding signature dishes, the menu at Tapas Brindisa changes regularly depending on the season. In the autumn, diners can look forward to fabada – a traditional Spanish stew made with white beans, chorizo, and black pudding. “A lot of legumes come into season in the autumn, when they are super fresh off the plant. Those beans are like clotted cream; they are so good.” I tell her my Brindisa favourite is the fried Monte Enebro goat’s cheese, drizzled with orange blossom honey and topped with beetroot crisps. “That cheese is a Spanish legend!” she enthuses.
And after more than three decades of flying the flag for Spanish produce, Monika is considered something of a legend herself. The Spanish Commercial Embassy has recognised her for her contribution to the promotion of Spanish gastronomy and by the World Cheese Awards for cheese excellence. “I feel very happy that I’ve played a part in revealing some of Spain’s secrets.” Brindisa has restaurants in Richmond, Battersea, South Kensington, Soho and two on London Bridge.
Monika's food and drink hero products
- Cheese – we have a whole hierarchy of staggeringly delicious Manchego.
- Sherry vinegar has been one of our iconic products since the very beginning. Use it for dressings, braises, drizzle over vegetables, glaze a pan or add a drop to a stew or any kind of slow-cooked dish.
- Pulses – dried or in jars. Treat them as a staple, like pasta. You can do anything with them.
For more info visit brindisa.com
