thepaellaclub

What thepaellaclub does

The Paella Club, founded in 2016 by Alex Betolaza in Barcelona, operates as a single-location culinary experience business registered under ABETOLAZA, S.L. in Spain. The company sells hands-on paella-making classes led by executive chef Lucía Zanchi (whose background includes stints with Jamie Oliver, Gordon Ramsay, and the British Royal Family), complemented by cocktail-making masterclasses, private events, and corporate team-building packages accommodating groups up to 55 people. Sessions include wine, cava, appetizers, and up to five paella varieties per class, with recipes provided post-experience.

The business model is direct-to-consumer with a parallel B2B corporate channel. Revenue is generated through per-person experience fees, group event packages, gift cards, and an e-commerce storefront selling gourmet Spanish ingredients (olive oil, bomba rice, smoked salt, truffle oil, wild mushrooms), branded merchandise, and handmade ceramics. Bookings flow through the Trekksoft platform with Stripe for payments and Mailchimp for email — there is no proprietary technology or AI layer. The customer base spans international tourists, families (children under 12 receive 50% off), dietary-restricted guests (gluten-free, vegan, allergen accommodations), and corporate groups. The Paella Club also operates a social-impact program, the TPC Foundation, donating €1 per booking to rotating NGOs including the Johan Cruyff Foundation and the Josep Carreras Foundation.

The company holds the #1 Paella Experience ranking in Barcelona on TripAdvisor with 1,390+ reviews and an "EXCELENTE" designation, supported by Condé Nast Traveler and Culinary Travel Guide editorial features. Operations remain concentrated in Barcelona with a single venue near La Boqueria; no geographic expansion, external funding, or acquisitions are disclosed. The team numbers 11–50 (seven core staff identified), and the business is founder-controlled with no parent company or institutional investors in the public record.

Name

thepaellaclub

Legal name

ABETOLAZA, S.L. «THE PAELLA CLUB»

Website

https://thepaellaclub.com

Company type

Private

Founded year

2016

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

1–10 employees

Short description

The Paella Club, founded in 2016 in Barcelona, operates hands-on paella-making and cocktail classes, corporate team-building events, and an online gourmet shop, serving international tourists, families, corporate groups, and dietary-restricted guests through a single venue and direct-to-consumer bookings.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Product category

Culinary Experiences

NAICS

Special Food Services (7223), Full-Service Restaurants (722511)

SIC

Retail-Eating & Drinking Places (5810), Services-Amusement & Recreation Services (7900)

akta.pro industry

PRIMARYTHAJAGAI

Cooking Classes & Chef-Led Workshops

Travel & Hospitality/Tours, Attractions & Experiences/Food & Drink Experiences (Culinary Tours, Tastings, Cooking Classes)

SECONDARYTHAJALAH

Private Culinary Experiences (Chef’s Table, Home Dining, Market-to-Meal)

Travel & Hospitality/Tours, Attractions & Experiences/Private & Custom Experiences (VIP, Bespoke Itineraries)

SECONDARYTHAJAAAG

Food, Market & Culinary Culture Tours

Travel & Hospitality/Tours, Attractions & Experiences/Guided Tours (City, Cultural & Historical)

Keywords

• Culinary cooking classes
• Paella experiences
• Team building events
• Gourmet food products
• Cocktail masterclasses

Headquarters

HQ city

Barcelona

HQ country

Spain

HQ region

Europe

Offices1 record

Markets served

GTM type

B2C

Offering type

Services

Cost components

Personnel, Operations, Marketing or Sales, Infrastructure, Others

Revenue model

1. Paella Cooking Experiences: Per-person fees for hands-on paella cooking classes including wine, cava, appetizers, and multiple paella varieties. Also includes cocktail-making masterclasses.
2. Corporate Events & Team Building: Private group bookings, team building workshops, showcooking events for corporate clients. Customized experiences for groups up to 55 people.
3. Gift Cards: Voucher sales for paella experiences and cooking classes, sold as gifts for foodie friends.
4. E-commerce (Gourmet Products & Merchandise): Online sales of premium Spanish ingredients (olive oil, Bomba rice, smoked salt, wild mushrooms, pimentón, truffle oil), branded merchandise (clothing, mugs, water bottles, travel accessories), and artisanal pottery. In-store pickup available for ceramics.

Go-to-market motion3 records

Distribution channels5 records

Marketing channels6 records

Core offering

The Paella Club fundamentally operates as a culinary tourism and hospitality business offering hands-on paella-making cooking experiences in Barcelona. Guests participate in guided cooking classes led by professional chefs to prepare multiple traditional paella varieties (up to five types per session), with included cava welcome, wine pairing, appetizers, and desserts. Complementary offerings include cocktail-making masterclasses, customized corporate team-building events for groups up to 55 people, and an online gourmet market selling premium Spanish ingredients, handmade ceramics, and branded merchandise.

Product overview

The Paella Club operates as a Barcelona-based culinary experience company offering a unified portfolio centered on interactive Spanish cooking classes and related products. The core offering consists of Paella-Making Experiences where guests hands-on prepare paella with chef guidance, complemented by Cocktail-Making Masterclasses. Additional revenue streams include Team Building/Corporate Events (interactive workshops, live showcooking, mixology for groups up to 55), the Gourmet Market (e-commerce for ingredients like olive oil, bomba rice, ceramics, and branded merchandise), and Gift Cards. A social initiative called Paella For Change donates 1 euro per booking to rotating NGOs supporting causes like leukemia research, youth sports, and breakfast programs in Gambia. The company also runs seasonal events such as New Year's Eve extravaganzas.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Brands

• TPC Foundation: Social initiative created by The Paella Club to support local NGOs. For each booking, one euro is donated to a fund that supports different local organizations each quarter.
• The Change Club
• Paella For Change
• The Breakfast Club

Products and services

• Paella-Making Experiences

Quantifiable outcome

• Classes can accommodate up to 5 different paella types per session (one per couple)
• +1 more outcomes

Named customers4 records

Segments4 records

Ideal customer profiles2 records

Technology focussed No

API detail

Has API

No

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

Integration3 records

Partnerships

Seven partnerships are on record, tiered minor and core.

• Massachusetts Association for the Blind and Visually Impaired (MABVI)minorStrategic or Co-development Partner · 1 January 2024The Paella Club participated in Boston Marathon 2024 with Team With A Vision to support MABVI's mission of helping people with vision loss. Alex Betolaza ran with the team to raise funds and awareness.
• Johan Cruyff FoundationcoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerQuarterly charitable partner receiving €1 per booking. Foundation develops sports activities for children in need around the world. The Paella Club rotates support to different NGOs each quarter as part of their Paella For Change social impact initiative.
• Josep Carreras FoundationcoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerQuarterly charitable partner focused on leukemia research and treatment. Foundation was established by tenor Josep Carreras after his successful recovery. The Paella Club donates €1 per booking to support the foundation's mission of making leukemia 100% curable.
• Homeless EntrepreneurminorStrategic or Co-development PartnerCharitable organization supported through The Paella Club's TPC Foundation. Part of the quarterly rotation of NGOs receiving donations from €1 per booking.
• Dinners That MatterminorStrategic or Co-development PartnerCharitable organization supported through The Paella Club's TPC Foundation as part of their social impact program.
• GoFundMe (Break-fast Club Campaign)coreGTM or Marketing PartnerCrowdfunding platform partner for The Breakfast Club initiative supporting children in Wullimkamma, Gambia. Supports The Paella Club's mission to provide breakfast to children in need. Donors can contribute beyond the €1 per booking to sponsor individual children.
• TrekksoftcoreTechnology or IntegrationBooking service provider powering The Paella Club's online reservation system. Handles online bookings for experiences, gift cards, and product purchases through their platform.

Scale indicators2 records

Recent moves6 records

Expansion highlights5 records

Broad incumbents

• GetYourGuide: European-headquartered tours and activities marketplace with a large Barcelona inventory including cooking classes. Competes for organic and paid demand in the same category.
• Viator (Tripadvisor Experiences): Tripadvisor-owned marketplace aggregating tours, cooking classes, and culinary experiences in Barcelona. A key distribution channel and indirect competitor for TPC's direct-booking funnel.
• Airbnb Experiences: Global marketplace for host-led experiences including cooking classes, used by travelers visiting Barcelona. Provides reach and traffic but competes with TPC's direct channel.

Direct peers

• Secret Food Tours: Global operator of guided food tours in major cities including Barcelona. Directly competes for the same international tourist customer looking for authentic, paid culinary experiences.
• Cook & Travel Spain: Spain-focused cooking class and culinary tour operator. Direct competitor in the Spanish-cuisine experience category serving international visitors.
• Eating Europe: Multi-city food tour operator with a Barcelona presence. Overlaps with TPC in the small-group, local-expert-led food experience segment targeting travelers.
• Devour Tours: Barcelona- and Spain-based food tour and culinary experience operator running tapas tours, market tours, and cooking classes. Closest direct competitor to The Paella Club in Barcelona's culinary experience category.
• Barcelona Cooking: Long-standing Barcelona cooking school offering hands-on Catalan and Spanish cooking classes. Direct substitute for TPC's paella-making experiences in the same market.

Regional players

• Cava & Hotel Majestic (Paella Experiences): Premium Barcelona hotel offering its own paella-making experiences. Represents the adjacent hotel-and-experience bundle model that competes for the same high-spend tourist and corporate guest.

Emerging players

• Withlocals: Marketplace for private local-led experiences including cooking classes in Barcelona. Competes for the same tourist seeking private culinary experiences, via a different distribution model.

Market position

Strengths5 records

Weaknesses5 records

Competitive moat4 records

Key risks6 records

Key highlights7 records

Customer concentration

• YouTubeyoutube.com/@thepaellaclub
• Facebookfacebook.com/thepaellaclub
• LinkedInlinkedin.com/company/the-paella-club
• Instagraminstagram.com/thepaellaclub
• TikToktiktok.com/@thepaellaclub
• Xx.com/thepaellaclub

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Profiles7 records

Funding overview

Funding rounds

Investors

Funding detail is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →

M&A

Investments

M&A and investment is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →

Frequently asked questions about thepaellaclub