What Sobremesa does

Sobremesa is a privately held, founder-operated culinary experiences company headquartered in Sant Cugat del Vallès, Catalonia, Spain, with active operations centered in Barcelona. Founded by Camila Loew, who has lived in Spain since 1998 and trained as a chanoyu tea practitioner, the company designs and delivers multi-day culinary tours (Barcelona, Basque Country, Olive Groves in Matarranya, and Japan), guided Walk & Taste neighborhood food tours, online and in-person cooking classes in Spanish/Mediterranean/Japanese cuisines, private and corporate workshops, and branded merchandise including a 45-recipe cookbook, aprons, and a ceramics line.

The company's offering is service-based with no proprietary technology; operations run on a Squarespace website, Stripe payments, and Zoom for online classes. Its technology footprint is therefore commodity, and its competitive differentiation rests on the founder's personal expertise, a decade-plus content library (blog since 2014, Substack "Table Talk" newsletter, Instagram), local producer and chef relationships, and the cultural positioning of the "sobremesa" concept.

Sobremesa's revenue model is entirely direct-to-consumer and per-unit: Walk & Taste tours at $150-$225 per person, online classes at $55-$507 per session, private bespoke classes and corporate workshops at custom pricing, multi-day tours with a 3-installment deposit schedule (deposit, 50% at 6 months, remainder at 3 months), and merchandise sales. Customer segments span individual English-speaking tourists (US-origin notably), home cooking enthusiasts globally, and a smaller B2B/education book of business (ASA Barcelona, IES Discoveries, Varsity). The company has no external funding, operates with approximately 11 staff, and distributes via its own website, Zoom, referral programs, and a small set of US Bay Area partnerships (Spanish Table, 18 Reasons, Civic Kitchen SF, ChefsFeed, Terra Veritas).

Name

Sobremesa

Legal name

Sobremesa

Website

https://sobremesa.life

Company type

Private

Founded year

2008

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

11–50 employees

Short description

Sobremesa is a Barcelona-based culinary experiences company offering multi-day food tours in Spain and Japan, online and in-person cooking classes, neighborhood Walk & Taste tours, and branded cookbook/ceramics merchandise, serving primarily English-speaking tourists and food enthusiasts globally.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Product category

Culinary Experiences

NAICS

Special Food Services (7223)

SIC

Retail-Eating Places (5812)

akta.pro primary industry

Food, Market & Culinary Culture Tours (THAJAAAG)

akta.pro secondary industries

Culinary & Wine Travel Agencies (THAKAFAH), Culinary Walking & Market Tours (THAJAGAA)

Keywords

• Culinary tours
• Cooking classes
• Food tourism
• Walking food tours
• Mediterranean cuisine

Headquarters

HQ city

Sant Cugat del Vallès

HQ country

Spain

HQ region

Europe

Offices2 records

Markets served

GTM type

B2C

Offering type

Services

Cost components

Personnel, Operations, Marketing or Sales, Technology or R&D, Supply Chain

Revenue model

1. Culinary Tours: Multi-day culinary experiences in Barcelona, Basque Country, Japan, and Olive Groves region. Packages include accommodation, meals, guided activities. Booking requires deposit with installment payment structure (deposit, 50% at 6 months, remainder at 3 months before tour).
2. Cooking Classes: Online and in-person cooking classes in Spanish, Mediterranean, and Japanese cuisines. Public classes and bespoke private sessions available. Pricing varies by class type and group size.
3. Walk & Taste Tours: Guided food-focused walking tours of Barcelona neighborhoods. Includes tastings and optional sit-down lunch. Prices from $150 per person.
4. Merchandise: Sale of Sobremesa Cookbook (physical and ebook), aprons, and ceramics line including bowls and ramen dishes.
5. Private Events & Corporate Workshops: Custom cooking workshops and experiences for private groups, schools, and organizations including ASA, IES Discoveries programs. Pricing varies by group size and customization.

Pricing tiers

Go-to-market motion1 record

Distribution channels4 records

Marketing channels6 records

Core offering

Sobremesa designs and sells multi-day culinary travel experiences (Barcelona, Basque Country, Japan, and Olive Groves tours), live in-person and online cooking classes focused on Spanish, Mediterranean, and Japanese cuisines, and guided Walk & Taste neighborhood food tours of Barcelona. The company also sells a branded cookbook (physical and ebook), aprons, and a ceramics line, and runs bespoke cooking workshops for schools, corporate groups, and private events.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Brands

• The Sobremesa Cookbook: Cookbook featuring 45 traditional and modern recipes inspired by regions of Spain and Spanish way of life.
• Sobremesa Ceramics Line
• Sobremesa Aprons

Products and services

• Multi-day Culinary Tours Multi-day culinary travel experiences in Barcelona, Basque Country (San Sebastian), Japan, and the Olive Groves (Matarranya) region, including accommodation, meals, guided activities, and local producer visits. Targeted at English-speaking international travelers interested in food culture and cultural immersion.
• Online Cooking Classes Live, interactive online cooking classes delivered via Zoom covering Spanish, Mediterranean, and Japanese cuisines. Includes public scheduled classes (e.g., Spanish Rice, Tapas, Galician cuisine, Seafood Paella) and bespoke private sessions for groups. Ingredient lists provided in advance; participants cook from their own kitchens.
• In-Person Cooking Classes Hands-on in-person cooking classes held in Barcelona covering Spanish, Mediterranean, and Japanese cuisines. Includes public group classes and private bespoke sessions for individuals, families, and groups. Dietary restrictions accommodated.
• Walk & Taste Barcelona Tours Guided food-focused walking tours of Barcelona neighborhoods (such as Gracia), with tastings at local establishments and an optional sit-down lunch upgrade. Targeted at visitors seeking curated, local-led introductions to the city's food scene. Prices start at $150 per person.
• The Sobremesa Cookbook Published cookbook of 45 traditional and modern recipes inspired by regions of Spain, authored by founder Camila Loew. Available as a physical book ($46.50 including shipping) and as a PDF ebook ($14.99).
• Sobremesa Aprons Branded Sobremesa aprons sold as merchandise for $29.99 each, supporting the company's culinary brand identity.
• Sobremesa Ceramics Line Sobremesa-branded ceramic product line including small bowls (from $22) and ramen bowls (from $38), sold as branded merchandise.
• Private Events & Corporate Workshops Custom cooking workshops and culinary experiences designed for private groups, schools, and corporate clients. Pricing varies by group size and customization. Confirmed clients include ASA (American School of Barcelona) and IES Discoveries with multi-session programs.
• Winter Cooking Camp Children's cooking camp during the winter school break (e.g., Dec 18-22), offered as a full-week program ($425) or drop-in by day ($100). Includes a 10% sibling discount.
• Herb Walk + Organic Picnic Half-day herb walk and organic picnic experience including wine, guided by an expert gastro-botanist. Priced at $150 per person.
• Gift Cards Gift cards available in $100, $150, or $200 denominations, redeemable across Sobremesa culinary experiences, classes, tours, and merchandise.

Named customers10 records

Segments4 records

Ideal customer profiles3 records

Technology focussed No

API detail

Has API

No

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

Integration2 records

Partnerships

Six partnerships are on record, tiered core and minor.

• Spanish TablecoreGTM or Marketing PartnerSan Francisco-based specialty Spanish food retailer. Co-marketing partner for online cooking classes; offers ingredient kits as add-ons to Sobremesa classes. Cross-promotional relationship driving customers to both brands.
• 18 ReasonscoreGTM or Marketing PartnerSan Francisco community cooking school and event space. Partner for cooking classes and events, particularly Basque pintxos workshops. Shared audience of food enthusiasts.
• Civic Kitchen SFminorGTM or Marketing PartnerSan Francisco culinary education organization. Cross-promotional partner for cooking classes in the Bay Area market.
• ChefsFeedminorGTM or Marketing PartnerFood media and recommendation platform. Marketing partner providing visibility among food-focused consumers.
• Terra VeritasminorGTM or Marketing PartnerWine and food pairing specialist. Partner for culinary events and classes with wine education components.
• Expert Gastro-Botanist GuideminorStrategic or Co-development PartnerIndependent guide partner for Herb Walk + Organic Picnic experience. Provides botanical expertise for half-day nature and food experience.

Scale indicators3 records

Recent moves6 records

Expansion highlights5 records

Direct peers

• Devour Tours: Spain-based (Madrid/Barcelona) food tour operator running small-group neighborhood food tours and multi-day culinary experiences. Direct competitor to Sobremesa's Walk & Taste Barcelona tours and Boutique Barcelona culinary itineraries.
• Eating Europe: Food tour operator running small-group culinary walks across European cities including Spain. Directly comparable in tour-led, food-and-culture focus for international travelers.
• Withlocals: Private guide marketplace offering city food tours, cooking classes, and local experiences in Barcelona and across Spain. Competitor for both one-off bookings and bespoke private culinary experiences.
• Spain Food Sherpa: Barcelona-based small-group food tour operator focused on Spanish cuisine and neighborhood tastings. Closely comparable in product, geography, and tourist target segment.
• Secret Food Tours: Globally operating food tour brand with a strong Barcelona presence, offering guided tastings and cultural food experiences. Closely comparable in product (neighborhood food walks with tastings) and target customer (international tourists).

Broad incumbents

• Airbnb Experiences: Global online marketplace hosting thousands of food tours, cooking classes, and culinary experiences. Indirect competitor via scale, distribution, and price competition, though lacks Sobremesa's curated multi-day positioning.
• Context Travel: Premium small-group cultural and culinary walking tours across Europe including Spain. Comparable in high-end, expert-led tour positioning for educated travelers.

Emerging players

• Cookly: Online marketplace for in-person cooking classes across destinations, including Spain. Overlaps with Sobremesa's public/bespoke cooking class product, though Cookly does not run multi-day culinary tours.

Market position

Strengths5 records

Weaknesses5 records

Competitive moat3 records

Key risks6 records

Key highlights7 records

Customer concentration

• Instagraminstagram.com/sobremesa_life
• LinkedInlinkedin.com/company/sobremesa-us

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Profiles1 record

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 Sobremesa