This week, Ruth and Elisha met all the gang behind Sammic, the company that has sponsored this and the previous two rounds of scholars for BasqueStage.  We headed out to their headquarters in Azkoitia, about forty-five minutes from San Sebastián.

There, Ruth and Elisha got the red carpet rolled out for them.

They had tour of the factory, where nearly all the goods Sammic sells are produced. The beautiful part is that they are produced by people from the town, often people that have generational ties with the company. 90% of the workers have a share in the company, a remarkable number.

Ruth and Elisha thoroughly enjoyed meeting the people who are working to further the future of Basque cuisine, by bringing young chefs to the Basque country to learn from the best.  Quality is key in the Basque cuisine, right up there next to authenticity.  Something that our stages learn every day, even on the days they aren’t in the kitchen.