THE SENSATIONAL EVENTS TEAM
Sensacions Gastronomy and Emotions has 12 years’ experience delivering stunning catering to corporate events, weddings and family celebrations. Owner and Events Director Josep Carreras highlighted a beautiful portfolio of venues and the importance of teamwork, in conversation with Phil Nicholls.
Like so many companies in the hospitality industry, the past few years were a challenge for Sensacions Gastronomy and Emotions. However, the combination of a depletion of savings, the negotiation of new finance lines and sacrifices by the loyal team helped the company weather the pandemic and emerge in 2022 stronger and revitalised.
“The recent difficulties we experienced brought the Sensacions team even closer together and strengthened our bonds,” explained Owner and Events Director Josep Carreras. “Companies are made from the people who work there, and the workforce represents a company’s greatest differential value.”
Sensacions was established in 2010 by four founding partnersJosep, Oriol, Elena and Sergi. The founders met when working for another company and decided to set up their own first-class catering service for events principally in Barcelona and across th e width and breadth of Catalonia.
Spaces to celebrate
In 2015, Sensacions acquired its headquarters at Can Magí, with superb kitchens and event space. The Can Magí farmhouse is part of the town Sant Cugat del Vallès, close to Barcelona. The venue offers a wealth of versatile interior and outside spaces for corporate and private events all year round, up to a maximum of 1,200 people. The building was built in 1878 and maintains a historic charm.
“Sensacions also runs Vallfont,” said Mr Carreras, “a recently renovated 12th century venue, set amongst three hectares of vineyards. Vallfont is set in the heart of the Penedes region, 50 minutes from Barcelona and 45 minutes from Tarragona. Here we have a variety of indoor and outdoor spaces that can hold groups of up to 240. The site also offers accommodation for up to 30 people.”
Finally, Sensacions is the preferred caterer at Xalet del Nin a farm located in Vilanova i la Geltrú, on the Garraf coast. Xalet del Nin was built in 1913 by renowned Catalan architect Josep Font i Gumà. Up to 250 guests can enjoy the incredible views of the Mediterranean Sea from Xalet del Nin’s impressive gardens Delivering events at these amazing venues is the highly trained Sensacions Gastronomy and Emotions team. It is the quality of this team that ensures every guest has an enjoyable experience, according to Mr Carreras: “We have more than
50 people directly employed in Sensacions, and many more who add to the services as waiters, kitchen and logistics assistants, and florists.
“Some of our team have the restlessness and freshness of youth, while others bear the responsibility of their experiences. All of them form the Sensacions team, sharing the same values and helping us improve daily.”
Outstanding events
The flexible Sensacions team offers a wide variety of comprehensive corporate services to complement and personalise e vents in small, medium and large formats. The company will organise corporate events, anniversary parties and any famil y celebration, turning each event into a magical experience.
However, the core of Sensacions’ business revolves around hosting weddings. Every wedding is personalised according to the requirements of the couple, with the experienced team offering a variety of wedding themes, including classical, outdoor, rustic, vintage, family style and many more.
Once the Catalan government’s Covid restrictions were eased at the start of 2022, Sensacions enjoyed a productive year.
“We started working again in March,” explained Mr Carreras, “and by the end of November, we exceeded 2019’s turnover by 25%.
“As they say, the calm always follows a great storm. With our instinct for survival, the empathy of our team and suppliers, and above all the widespread support of our customers, Sensacions retains its presence in the sector, with greater strength and enthusiasm than ever.
“We specialise in large corporate events, where the preparations and especially the presentation, requires experience and a lot of effort. However, weddings are our main day-to-day event, where we like to exceed the expectations of customers and help make a memorable day.”
A bespoke team
As a dedicated catering company with in-house specialist chefs, Mr Carreras was clear about the appeal of Sensacions: “What makes us unique is how we create everything we offer. Also, we are committed to our origins, with priority for local products, which are excellent in Catalonia and Spain.
“Of course, what also makes us different is our team, the way we love our work. We are creative and responsible, safe and
“What makes us unique is how we create everything we offer. Also, we are committed to our origins, with priority for local products, which are excellent in Catalonia and Spain”Corporate Event in MNAC, Barcelona
passionate, combinations that align us very closely to the expectations of our customers.
“Sensacions offers a comprehensive service, as well as food and drink. What sets us apart from the competition is our team of experienced event specialists who create unique and bespoke events with fantastic decorative and entertainment options, regardless of the size, type and location of the event.”
Close partnership with suppliers is another aspect of the amazing Sensacions’ offer. Mr Carreras emphasised the importance of honest teamwork and the necessity for high standards throughout the supply chain.
A passion to grow
“Sustainability is one of our biggest challenges,” Mr Carreras said. “We began taking responsible actions in 2020, and the plan for 2023 is to accentuate them. Our priority is to use local products with a low carbon footprint. At the packaging level, with
fresh products, we only accept sustainable containers. With beverages, we already use only 10% single use bottles or cartons, while the rest are recyclable or reusable.
“While the nature of our business requires transportation and energy,” he continued, “we are considering ways to offset these greenhouse emissions via carbon-offsetting companies. This is our contribution to mitigating climate change and protecting the environment.”
Despite a difficult few years due to the extended Covid restrictions, Sensacions remains optimistic for the future. Mr Carreras cited the team’s self-belief and dedication as grounds for this positive outlook.
To accommodate this potential for growth, Sensacions already has a plan to expand, according to Mr Carreras: “We are evaluating grouping the central kitchens with the logistics centre, to optimise our resources. The volume of work we perform has taken us almost to the threshold of our capacity. In the coming years, this expansion will surely be a great investment.”
Supported by an extensive, highly trained team, Sensacions is looking forward to helping more clients enjoy memorable weddings and events. “At Sensacions, we have the great luck to make people happy with our work,” Mr Carreras concluded. “This experience excites the team and gives us the energy to keep going with as much passion as ever.” n
