It all started with Lorna Thain Segú and Marc Gómez Segú having a dream of owning their own Spanish restaurant.
“We talked about it when we were living in Spain. I remember our walks along the beach in Castelldefels. We talked about owning our own Spanish restaurant one day, and it didn’t happen initially for us, and then it did,” said Lorna.
Little Barcelona was birthed just over two years ago and on Saturday, the Prescott, Ont. eatery received a prestigious award – the “Restaurants from Spain” certification and a special recognition ceremony from the Spanish government.
The couple says this wasn’t just a dream but a passion project.
“Our slogan is the authentic Spanish cuisine without the plane ticket,” said Lorna.
Before the idea, came their love story. They met in Barcelona in 2010, lived there together for four years and got married in Costa Brava. When it came time to decide where they wanted to raise their family, they moved to Ottawa, where Lorna grew up.
The couple wanted to bring a taste of Spain back with them to the capital region.
“It started as an import and distribution business of high-end Spanish foods across the country,” said Lorna.
It started in 2020 for take out but when the pandemic hit, it was shut down overnight.
“We went from doing well to zero overnight,” said Lorna.
“I panicked and my husband looked at me and he went, ‘well, we have a dream and we’ve got a lot of food.’ It started as a takeout, really small, and were allowed like a pilot project.”
The certification is awarded for demonstrating exceptional authenticity in Spanish cuisine, products and overall culinary experience. More than 550 restaurants have been recognized as “Restaurants from Spain,” including 10 in Canada.
The ambassador of Spain to Canada was in attendance to present the certification plaque.
“It means the recognition of the highest standards of quality and contribution to wider spreading Spanish gastronomy in Canada,” said Spain’s ambassador to Canada Alfredo Martinez.
The couple says they were holding back tears during the ceremony because they’ve put a lot of passion, love and care into giving guests the best experience.
“I’m a Spanish immigrant that came here 13 years ago. I didn’t speak the language. I came from Barcelona to the countryside in Canada. I got cultural shock. For me, this is like a dream come true. A nice big milestone for me,” said Marc.
“Being the only Spanish restaurant out of the city, right in the countryside, it’s for me, very special.”
Steve Clark, MPP for Leeds-Grenville-Thousand Islands and Rideau Lakes, also recognized the restaurant’s contribution to the region.
“It’s a destination. It’s always been a destination. The one thing you’ll find that Little Barcelona is the authenticity of Spain and Spanish cuisine. It validates that they’re not just a restaurant, they’re a tourism attraction that always puts their heritage first. I think that’s fantastic,” he said.
As part of the prestigious recognition, the owners will also attend a special ceremony with Spanish royalty.
“The owners of Little Barcelona will be with His Majesty as well, with other Spaniards celebrating this people to people tie through gastronomy and food,” said Martinez.
“Not a lot of people can say they’ve met the King,” said Marc.
