Tapas and a taste, smell and view of cured Iberico hams on a tour of Spanish food importer’s Hong Kong warehouse turned private dining venue

Among the private dining venues Hong Kong food importers opened in warehouses in the pandemic, Iberico Ham Cellar in San Po Kong is one of the most impressive

Visitors enjoy an immersive Spanish food experience with tapas, sherry, samples of cured ham and a tour of the hidden cavern where the hams are stored

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Iberico Ham Cellar offers food experiences that include tasting from an impressive selection of Spanish jamon. And the unlikely location in a Hong Kong warehouse is “part of the charm”. Photo: Iberico Ham Cellar

Andrew Sun

Published: 12:50pm, 27 Mar 2023Updated: 2:45pm, 27 Mar 2023

An unexpected phenomenon of the Covid-19 pandemic was various gourmet food wholesalers in Hong Kong quietly converting their warehouses into private dining venues. After hours, with doors locked and gates shuttered, dinners were held out of sight. It was the epitome of socially distanced entertainment.

It could be argued that this was a hush-hush way to get around dining restrictions. Now, as the city reopens, many of these stockrooms in Wong Chuk Hang, Kwun Tong and other industrial areas are keen to turn the focus on their hospitality hideaways.

Pata Negra House Group’s redesigned Iberico Ham Cellar in San Po Kong is arguably one of the most impressive. The company has been importing jamon, cheese, canned goods, wine, seafood and meats from Spain and other European countries since 2006.

In 2021, it spruced up its facility, adding an open kitchen and a hidden cavern to store a treasure trove of cured jamon legs.

As part of a visit to The Iberico Ham Cellar, guests get to try three vintages of sherry, paired with five slices of hams from the Iberian Peninsula. Photo: The Iberico Ham Cellar

“Our core expertise is operating gourmet ham and cheese counters in high-end supermarkets and department stores,” says managing director Mathieu Djedid. “However, we felt that we had more knowledge and experience to share with customers.

“So, as we renovated our headquarters, we used this opportunity to create a unique space dedicated to Spanish gastronomy, with the highlight being the Iberico Ham Cellar, a unique showcase of our Iberico ham collection.”