Scorching Spanish summer sends gazpacho sales soaring

Served in a dish or tall glass, the chilled soup that is gazpacho is enjoying rising sales during Spain’s sweltering summer.

Wander the high street of nearly every British town these days and the chances are that you will soon stumble upon a Spanish tapas bar of some description.

Since the recent economic crisis, when thousands of Spaniards moved to the UK in search of employment, there has been a mini explosion in the number of Spanish-themed restaurants, with many offering a passable imitation of the real thing found in Spain…

Often expensive and usually lacking that laid-back Spanish charm, these imitations at least make a decent stab of reflecting a typical tapas menu, with albóndigas, patatas bravas, gambas pil pil et al present and correct.

But one glaring omission from most British menus is gazpacho – the tomato-based, garlicky cold soup that is a lunchtime staple of many parts of Spain during the summer.

There is a good reason for this. The UK’s summers are rarely glorious, while the winters can be downright miserable, thus rendering a refreshing, non-filling and chilled dish such as gazpacho pretty much obsolete.

In Spain, however, when the mercury refuses to drop below 30ºC for weeks on end, the dish is a delight. Perfect for lunch, ideal for early evening supper, and even occasionally served at breakfast, gazpacho’s crisp flavour has a refreshing effect, proving at once satisfying but incredibly light on the stomach.

So it is no surprise that gazpacho sales have soared in recent weeks as Spain has sweltered through one heatwave after another. According to retail consultancy Nielson, sales of gazpacho have risen by 51 per cent this summer compared to last year, with the severity of the weather to blame.

“Two such different summers (2014’s summer was relatively cool in comparison) have led to spectacular growth, especially during the second week in July when sales of summer foods rose by 14.5 per cent,” said Nielson’s Asís González de Castejón.

The classic dish originates from Andalucía, and is a staple of the menus del día that are commonplace at lunchtime in most bodegas across the Costa del Sol. The dish is low in calories and can either be served in a bowl topped with green garnish and croutons, or drunk from a tall glass. A side order of crusty bread is optional, but recommended.

So if you’re in Spain this summer and cannot face another hefty portion of paella or a testing tray of tapas during the heat, then why not try a refreshing gazpacho? It may at first seem like an acquired taste, but trust us – you quickly get used to it!