Spain Food Sherpas
Spain Food Sherpas is a Malaga-based culinary tourism operator founded in 2013 that runs guided food tours and cooking classes across five Spanish cities, serving international leisure travelers, corporate groups, and travel agents with direct online booking.
- Company typePrivate
- Founded2013
- HeadquartersMalaga, Spain
- Headcount1–10
- GTM typeB2C
- OfferingServices
What Spain Food Sherpas does
Spain Food Sherpas (legal entity: Malaga Gastronomia y Desarrollo SL) is a privately-held Spanish experiential tourism operator founded in 2013 and headquartered in Malaga. The company designs and delivers guided culinary experiences—predominantly food tours and cooking classes—across five Spanish cities: Malaga, Seville, Granada, Madrid, and Cordoba. Core products include progressive tapas and wine tastings at locally-owned establishments, paella and tapas cooking workshops (often incorporating market visits), flamenco-and-tapas combination tours, wine tasting experiences, private tours, cocktail masterclasses, and day excursions to Ronda. Since founding the company states it has guided over 200,000 travelers.
The business operates on a direct-to-consumer e-commerce model. Customers book and pay online through a Bookeo-powered scheduling system integrated with Stripe payments; alternative booking channels include hotel reception desks, on-site payment to guides, and a travel agent affiliate program. Pricing is unit-based in euros, with standard food tours ranging from €67–€105 and cooking classes from €45–€75, plus private and corporate packages. The customer base is dominated by individual international tourists (served via four-language websites in English, German, Spanish, and French), supplemented by corporate groups using food experiences for team-building and a smaller B2B affiliate channel. The company is founder-led by Pablo, employs 7 people, and relies on a network of locally-based guides rather than a large internal operations team.
Spain Food Sherpas firmographics
Firmographics- Name
- Spain Food Sherpas
- Legal name
- Malaga Gastronomia y Desarrollo SL
- Website
- https://spainfoodsherpas.com
- Company type
- Private
- Founded year
- 2013
- Operating status
- Operating
- Headcount range
- 1–10 employees
- Short description
- Spain Food Sherpas is a Malaga-based culinary tourism operator founded in 2013 that runs guided food tours and cooking classes across five Spanish cities, serving international leisure travelers, corporate groups, and travel agents with direct online booking.
- Ownership category
- akta.pro rank
Spain Food Sherpas industry classification
Industry- Product category
- Culinary Tourism / Food Tour Services
- NAICS
- Special Food Services (7223), Food Services and Drinking Places (722)
- SIC
- Services-Amusement & Recreation Services (7900)
- akta.pro primary industry
- Food, Market & Culinary Culture Tours (THAJAAAG)
- akta.pro secondary industries
- Culinary & Wine Itinerary Planning (THAKAOAJ), Culinary Walking & Market Tours (THAJAGAA), Restaurant Progressive Dining Tours (THAJAGAB), Farm-to-Table & Agritourism Dining Experiences (Farm Visits, Harvest Meals) (THAJAGAK)
Keywords
Where Spain Food Sherpas is headquartered
LocationHeadquarters
- HQ city
- Malaga
- HQ country
- Spain
- HQ region
- Europe
Offices1 record
Markets served
Spain Food Sherpas business model
Business model- GTM type
- B2C
- Offering type
- Services
- Cost components
- Personnel, Operations, Marketing or Sales, Technology or R&D, Others
Revenue model
- Food Tour Tickets: Individual and group tickets for guided food tours across multiple Spanish cities including Malaga, Seville, Granada, Madrid, and Cordoba. Tours range from 3-4 hours with food and drink included.
- Cooking Classes: Paella cooking classes, tapas cooking classes, cocktail classes, and private cooking experiences in Malaga. Market visits included in some classes.
- Gift Vouchers: Gift vouchers available for all tours and cooking classes, sold as presents for food experiences.
- Corporate/Group Activities: Team building events, corporate activities, and custom tours for larger groups with special pricing.
Pricing tiers
| Model | Billing | Price |
|---|---|---|
| Unit Pricing | Pay-as-you-go | Standard Food Tours (3-4 hours) |
| Unit Pricing | Pay-as-you-go | Cooking Classes |
| Unit Pricing | Pay-as-you-go | Private Tours |
| Unit Pricing | Pay-as-you-go | Child Pricing |
Go-to-market motion1 record
Distribution channels3 records
Marketing channels6 records
Spain Food Sherpas product offering
Product offeringCore offering
Spain Food Sherpas designs and operates guided culinary tourism experiences in Spain, including progressive food and wine tours in Malaga, Seville, Granada, Madrid, and Cordoba, as well as hands-on paella, tapas, and cocktail cooking classes in Malaga. Each experience is led by a local "Sherpa" guide who leads small groups to family-run tapas bars, local markets, and partner establishments, with food and drink typically included in the ticket price.
Product overview
Spain Food Sherpas operates a portfolio of guided culinary experiences across Spain, comprising food tours, cooking classes, and specialized gastronomic activities. The core offering consists of guided food tours in five cities (Malaga, Seville, Granada, Madrid, and Cordoba) featuring progressive tastings at locally-loved establishments, complemented by cooking workshops teaching traditional Spanish dishes such as paella and tapas. Additional offerings include flamenco and tapas combination tours, wine tasting experiences, private tours, market visits, cocktail classes, and day excursions to Ronda. The company also operates B2B channels including corporate team-building activities and a travel agent affiliate program. Gift vouchers are available for all experiences. The company was founded in 2013 and has guided over 200,000 travelers. All tours are conducted in English by passionate local Food Sherpas guides.
Differentiator
Problem solved
Functional benefit
Products and services
- Food Tours in Malaga
- Food Tours in Seville
- Food Tours in Granada
- Food Tours in Madrid
- Food Tours in Cordoba
- Paella Cooking Class in Malaga
- Tapas Cooking Classes in Malaga
- Private Cooking Classes in Malaga
- Flamenco and Tapas Tours
- Wine Tasting Tours
- Cocktail Classes in Malaga
- Ronda Wine and Gastro Tour
- Corporate and Team-Building Activities
- Gift Vouchers
- Travel Agent Affiliate Program
Quantifiable outcome
- 200,000+ travelers guided since 2013
Companies that use Spain Food Sherpas
Customer profileNamed customers3 records
Segments4 records
Ideal customer profiles3 records
Spain Food Sherpas technology and API
TechnologyTechnology focussed No
API detail
- Has API
- No
- API docs
- API detail
Core technology
AI maturity
App detail
Integration3 records
Spain Food Sherpas partnerships and signals
Strategic signalPartnerships
Five partnerships are on record, tiered core and minor.
- BookeocoreOnline booking platform used for scheduling all tours and cooking classes. Handles availability, reservations, and customer booking management.
- StripecorePCI-compliant payment processor for secure credit card transactions. Certified to PCI Service Provider Level 1 for secure payment processing.
- Official Tourism InstitutionsminorCollaborates with official tourism institutions as shown in institutional logos on Spanish site
- Local Restaurants and Tapas BarscoreExclusive partnerships with family-run tapas bars, local taverns, and market vendors for authentic local dining experiences
- Market VendorscoreGreat friendships and exclusive partnerships with market vendors at Atarazanas and other local markets
Scale indicators4 records
Recent moves6 records
Expansion highlights5 records
Spain Food Sherpas competitors and assessment
Company assessmentBroad incumbents
- Withlocals: Broader marketplace offering food tours, cooking classes, and local experiences across Spain. Less specialized than Spain Food Sherpas but captures overlapping demand through a wider portfolio of experience categories.
- Airbnb Experiences: Massive platform hosting thousands of culinary experiences including food tours and cooking classes globally, including competing offerings in Spain. Not specialized but a significant distribution channel and competitive substitute.
- Viator: TripAdvisor-owned experiences marketplace listing food tours and cooking classes across Spanish destinations. Overlapping distribution and competitive supply.
- GetYourGuide: Major OTA for tours, attractions, and experiences; lists competing Spain food tours across the same cities. Functions as both a distribution channel and a competitive substitute.
Direct peers
- Eating Europe: Direct competitor in culinary walking tours across European cities with similar small-group, locally-guided model. Targets the same experiential-traveler segment with comparable pricing.
- Secret Food Tours: Direct peer offering guided food tours across multiple European cities including Spain, with comparable tour duration (3-4 hours), pricing tiers, and progressive-tasting format. Competes for the same tourist culinary-experience customer.
- Devour Tours: Direct competitor running guided food tours across Spain (Madrid, Barcelona, Seville, Malaga, Granada) with similar culinary-tourism positioning, small-group formats, and local guide network. Operates in the same cities with overlapping tour concepts.
Emerging players
- Tours by Locals: Private-guided tour platform operating in Spain with culinary-themed offerings. Less specialized in food but competes for the same experiential-tourist customer seeking local guides.
- Cookly: Cooking-class marketplace with significant presence in Spain including Malaga and Barcelona. Direct overlap with Spain Food Sherpas' cooking-class revenue stream.
Regional players
- Tapas Tapas & More (Culinary Tourism brands in Andalusia): Regional Andalusia-focused culinary tour operators offering overlapping Malaga/Granada/Seville food tour products. Less brand recognition but competes for the same regional tourist demand.
Market position
Strengths4 records
Weaknesses4 records
Competitive moat4 records
Key risks6 records
Key highlights7 records
Customer concentration
Spain Food Sherpas social profiles
Digital presenceSpain Food Sherpas financial estimates
Financial estimateRevenue estimate
Valuation estimate
Spain Food Sherpas leadership team
Management profileNumber of profiles
Profiles8 records
Spain Food Sherpas funding detail
Funding detailFunding overview
Funding rounds
Investors
Funding detail is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →
Spain Food Sherpas M&A and investment
M&A and investmentM&A
Investments
M&A and investment is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →
Frequently asked questions about Spain Food Sherpas
What does Spain Food Sherpas do?
Spain Food Sherpas designs and operates guided culinary tourism experiences in Spain, including progressive food and wine tours in Malaga, Seville, Granada, Madrid, and Cordoba, as well as hands-on paella, tapas, and cocktail cooking classes in Malaga. Each experience is led by a local "Sherpa" guide who leads small groups to family-run tapas bars, local markets, and partner establishments, with food and drink typically included in the ticket price.
Is Spain Food Sherpas a public or private company?
Spain Food Sherpas is a private company. It is classified as founder individual operated bootstrapped and is currently operating.
When was Spain Food Sherpas founded?
Spain Food Sherpas was founded in 2013. It employs 1 to 10 people.
Where is Spain Food Sherpas based?
Spain Food Sherpas is headquartered in Malaga, Spain, in the Europe region.
How does Spain Food Sherpas make money?
Four revenue lines are on record. Food Tour Tickets are the primary driver. The others are cooking Classes, gift Vouchers and corporate/Group Activities.
Who are Spain Food Sherpas's main competitors?
Broad incumbents on record are Withlocals, Airbnb Experiences, Viator and GetYourGuide. Direct peers are Eating Europe, Secret Food Tours and Devour Tours. Emerging players are Tours by Locals and Cookly. Tapas Tapas & More (Culinary Tourism brands in Andalusia) is listed as a regional player.
Does Spain Food Sherpas have an API?
No public API is recorded for Spain Food Sherpas.
What industry is Spain Food Sherpas in?
Spain Food Sherpas's product category is Culinary Tourism / Food Tour Services. Its primary akta.pro industry code is THAJAAAG, Food, Market & Culinary Culture Tours, with a secondary code of THAKAOAJ, Culinary & Wine Itinerary Planning. Its NAICS code is 7223 and its SIC code is 7900.