Hard work pays off

“I had a great job, a great life and lived in a great city, but I knew that I wanted more for myself and I could see that Mallorca offered possibilities.”

What Helen had spotted was a trend on the rise: the Yachting industry was growing in Mallorca. But what could she bring to the table? Her background in Sales and Marketing for big brands such as Landrover and her research into yachting led her to the idea of a Provisioning and Catering service for Yachts and Superyachts, and so her business, Delicioso, was born in 2008.

It can’t have been easy to launch Delicioso to begin with but Helen says she is a “grafter” and soon became a familiar face on the docks as she walked the pontoons everyday.

“A huge part of the business, and in fact of living in Mallorca, is networking: just getting to know people and having the opportunity to build trust was the core of the success of the business, and still is.”

The Yachting industry has grown substantially over the last fifteen years and so has Delicioso. From humble beginnings (”It was just me and a chef”) it has now grown to a full time team of six, permanent kitchens based in Son Bugadelles in Santa Ponsa and a fleet of refrigerated vehicles.
“We are a fully legal business that is regularly inspected by Sanidad. I am extremely proud of that, it shows our quality and our commitment to excellence.”

Delicioso now regularly supplies head chefs who work on the world’s most famous Superyachts with all of their fresh produce and bring in rare and hard to find ingredients for those very special dinners that are served on board. They also cater for racing yachts and can be seen delivering at many of the island’s regattas.

“We create menus which the race crews can choose. We individually handwrap and label each meal so that they can grab and go. A lot of these crews are serious athletes and they demand top quality nutrition so we are happy that they come to us for their food.”

In the winter Delicioso are still busy, but this time feeding the yacht crews whose boats are in for renovation or whose chef is not on duty.

“Then we are more likely called to deliver more homestyle food, like Lasagnes for six and sharing plates of Tortillas. We have a big menu to keep every tummy satisfied.”

These days Delicioso isn’t just working in the Yachting industry. In 2011 Helen’s keen eye spotted another trend in Mallorca as an increasing number of couples travelled to the island to celebrate their marriages. Delicioso expanded its remit to offer onsite catering for weddings and special events.

“The island has so many beautiful places to hold a special party, we are constantly blown away by the variety and beauty of the venues we work at. The range is staggering: from your traditional Mallorcan finca to a modern villa to a Fort on a cliff to a poolside party, we’ve catered for them all.”

Delicioso’s head chef, native Mallorcan, Francisco Carrasco Mut who is trained in Traditional Spanish, European and Asian styles of cooking has created a range of menus which appeal to the international palates of the brides and grooms who are flocking to the island. They now work with many very established wedding planners in Mallorca. Helen’s words of wisdom to anyone thinking of getting married in Mallorca, “Please do come and speak to us. We are super friendly, flexible and experienced and can help you create the perfect event or wedding.”

How do they cope with the increase in demand?
“Outside of the core team we have a pool of professional waiters, bar staff, and chefs who work seasonally as our events’ schedule demands. We are fortunate to have the staff, anyone who works in hospitality knows how hard it is to find the right people.”

It’s not been an easy ride, like the majority of businesses on the island, Delicioso was hit hard by COVID in 2020 and 2021 and then had to cope with a very busy ‘22: “2022 was a crazy year for us as we had weddings which had been due to happen in 2020 and 2021, PLUS the ones that were booked in for 2022. We did more than fifty events in three months last summer! But the team pulled through and we had some lovely feedback from our customers. You have to jump many hurdles, but I thrive on the challenge and the rewards and job satisfaction keep me smiling!”

A natural progression for Delicioso was to also offer similar Provisioning options to holiday villas.

“Our clients can make a list of what they want us to provide and we will deliver it to their villa ready for when they arrive. We even unpack it all if they need that. We supply every conceivable product from fresh meat and fish to vegan and vegetarian products to fruits and vegetables to wines, drinks and our range of Frozen Gourmet meals which are made for our clients to defrost and cook. We also supply prepared Barbecue Boxes and salads so you can just spark up the Barbecue and cook. No shopping, no prepping, no mess.”

Along the way as her business grew, so Helen’s family grew. She now has her son Louis who attends Queens School.

How does she manage as a single parent running a full time business?
“I have the support of my mum and dad who have a house in Calvia, and my wonderful friends who really help me when things get busy, and I have this amazing staff team. We work very hard and we are very close.”

How is 2023 shaping up?
“As a busy MD my role is extremely varied, encompassing the overall management and creative direction of the business. I am hands on with every aspect of the business and I am extremely proud of what we have built.”

Was it the right decision to leave London?
“Absolutely yes! I love the eclectic beauty and variety Mallorca. I am an outdoors girl at heart. When I’m not working you will find me hiking in the winter in the mountains and swimming in the beautiful Mediterranean Sea in the summer. Couldn’t be better!”