ROQUETA OCTOBER 2025
EDITORIAL ROQUETA MAGAZINE 376 - OCTOBER 2025 OCTOBER IN MENORCA If you’ve made it to Menorca in October, congratulations – you’re in on one of the island’s best secrets. If you work in the tourist industry and have made it to October, congratulations too! The frantic pace of summer is behind us, the weather is still kind (with the odd dramatic sky thrown in), and the beaches suddenly feel like they belong to you. There’s nothing quite like wandering down to a cala and finding only a handful of people swimming – or sometimes no one at all. This is the month when the island takes a deep breath. Locals are out enjoying their favourite restaurants again, chefs are a little less frazzled and full of creativity, and the markets are bursting with autumn produce. It’s a brilliant time to tuck into Menorcan dishes, sip a local wine, and just slow down with the rhythm of the place. In October, you need to check before you go as the closing dates are always “mobile” depending on the visitors and the weather. Don’t hold it against the restaurant owners, they are up against the terrible pressures of rising food and labour costs and there are no tax breaks for small businesses in Spain. If you prefer to cook at home, we have some delicious recipes from Brindisa, and an interview with the company’s co-founder, Monika Linton, who introduced the UK to quality Spanish food, including Mahón cheese, back in the 80’s. The countryside is greening up after the long summer, which makes walking or cycling the Camí de Cavalls a real pleasure – the light in October is golden and soft, perfect for those long, lazy afternoons. And in the evenings, when there’s a little nip in the air, it feels just right to sit outside with a jacket on and a glass in hand, watching the stars come out. Rachael has been out at night to search for bats. They love to live in our caves in Menorca but they need peace and quiet so it is important not to disturb them. At the end of the month we will enjoy Autumn traditions of Halloween and All Saints Day or Tot Sants as it is known in Menorca. Food is central to both traditions. For Tot Sants, the island’s kitchens fill with the comforting aromas of bunyols (small doughnuts made with Boniato), roasted chestnuts, and sometimes panellets. If you experience a rainy day, there is plenty to explore in the towns, including the museums and galleries such as Ca n’Oliver. Vanessa tells us about the tours available at the Cathedral in Ciutadella and there are plenty more things to do which can be found in our What’s On Guide, including sporting events and concerts. So whether you’re here for a gentle escape, an active adventure, or simply to enjoy Menorca without the summer crowds, you’ve chosen well. October is when the island feels most itself – calm, authentic, and welcoming.
Liz & John
IN THIS ISSUE 04 09 10 14 16 18 20 23 26 27 31 40 44 46 50 54 58 65 66
ISLAND NEWS EES ENTRY SYSTEM CIUTADELLA CATHEDRAL MONIKA LINTON, BRINDISA RESTAURANTS, WINES, AND RECIPES BATS IN MENORCA DR CLEGHORN COMMEMORATING THE ROMA ART IN MENORCA 60 YEARS OF DONCARS THE CASTILLO CLASSIC YACHTS GRAPEVINE GEORGE FERRARA CHARLOTTE FINDLATER CLUBS AND ASSOCIATIONS NUTRITION AND FITNESS WHAT’S ON OCTOBER 2025 ISLAND INFORMATION PIG TALES - DOT IS BACK
We’re so glad you’re here to share it. After this issue we will take a break, but Roqueta will be back in December to bring you more activities and information about the island, including Christmas and the Three Kings festivities.
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Publisher: John Davies Editor: Liz Parr Printer: LV Grupo Grafico y de Communication, L’Hospitalet de Llobregat Dep Legal ME: 187/1973 No. Registro: 1037/3.992
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BY ALISON GURNEY
Noel with his uncles at the Churchill factory
A LITTLE BIT OF STOKE-ON-TRENT IN THE SUN AND BY THE SEA! THE ART OF ‘PLATE TURNING’.
If you visit the Menorca Museum in Mahón or the Isla del Rey, you can discover evidence that the British military officers and medical staff, based here in the 18th century, brought with them ‘home comforts’. Shards of pottery found in excavations around Es Castell and on the Isla del Rey have been identified as coming from the potteries of Stoke-on-Trent. So, they clearly brought their own plates, cups and saucers with them! Today, some 300 years later, Stoke-on -Trent pottery is still being used in Menorca, remarkably in about two-thirds of the restaurants on the island. If you see diners around you turning over their plates to read the information printed underneath, they are probably Stokies - or friends that have been introduced to the art of ‘plate turning’. The name that these plate turners are most likely to find in many of our Menorcan restaurants is Churchill – or their recently acquired brand, Dudson. Churchill pottery was established in 1795 so it is no newcomer to the scene but is now famous as a world-wide supplier of hotelware. The 2025 catalogue has over 400 pages of different shapes and designs and I gave up counting when I reached 60 colour options. To deter imitators, new items and variations are introduced four times a year. This was just one of the fascinating facts I discovered when I visited Menaje Menorca on the poligón in Mahón (not far from IKEA). They have had the exclusive sales rights for Churchill for 13 years. Noel Segui, one of the family that owns the business, had recently visited the Churchill factory in Tunstall (one of the original 6 towns that became the City of Stoke-on-Trent). He was impressed with the investment in the production lines.
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Robotic arms, powered by over 5000 solar panels, fashion white clay into the various shapes and sizes of the different ranges. A far cry from the labour-intensive methods and coal-fired bottle kilns of 1795! The modern ware is ‘cooked’ in the kilns and then coloured glazes are applied by humans as required. This flexibility cleverly enables the company to meet demands without stockpiling designs that can go out of fashion. Noel was proud to be able to supply an order within a week. If you are visiting Calas Fonts in Es Castell, you can become a plate turner and spot Churchill easily. Each restaurant has a different theme. Check out Es Llenegal, Aigu and Caprichosa - their pizza plates are amazing! Pedro and Xisco Pallicer, the cousins who run Nou Sirocco, chose several different shapes and designs in the natural shades that complemented their wooden tables and creamy coloured chairs. At Tarambana, they have a bold blue design. Sa Cala, with their shade provided by branches of foliage, chose green. For a really special plate experience, you need to visit La Rueda in San Lluís. When we ‘plate turned’ their new ceramics, humans had not only added colour – a pink to match their corporate burgundy – but also their wheel motif! After reading this article, I hope you too will be tempted to become a ‘plate turner’. You may even be hailed as a Stokie. Supporting Stoke City or Port Vale remains optional! Noel Segui at Menaje Menorca
Menaje Menorca, Carrer d’Alemanya, 6, 07714 Mahón, www.menajemenorca.com
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