I’ve always had a love for motorbikes—motocross, enduro, and road riding—but my passion for food came later, growing through years of travel and a genuine enjoyment of cooking. Living in Andalusia makes it easy to enjoy both. Before making the leap to Spain, I had a rewarding career in engineering, working with respected companies like JCB, British Steel, and GKN. That background, along with experience in sales, marketing, and business, has given me a practical, hands-on approach to everything I do—whether it’s running tours or preparing a great meal.
Moving to Spain
Moving to Spain has been an incredible adventure—especially learning a new language. It’s still a work in progress, but it’s going well. Living in Ronda, a beautiful inland town in Andalusia, speaking Spanish is essential, as most of my neighbours speak little English—and rightly so, this is their country.
The Andalusian climate is ideal for motorcycling nearly all year round, with winding roads, dramatic landscapes, and endless sunshine. Running a motorcycle tour business here lets me combine my passion for riding with the joy of sharing this region’s rich culture, warm hospitality, and exceptional food.
So if you are looking for luxury motorcycle tours you are in the right place and I can’t wait to welcome you to Andalusia
The Spanish Cuisine
Susanne and I both love to cook, we often take produce direct from the garden, herbs, a huge variety of fruit & vegetables, nuts, figs apples, even our own camomile tea. We cant consume it all so either preserve for the winter or give to friends. Our own produce is complemented by that of the many local producers for Jamon, wine, fruits and much more.
Sustainable living or at least a concerted effort to move in this direction comes with a significant amount of work, composting, harvesting, planting, the list is huge. Fortunately the slow food culture in Spain is a living thing with lots of help and advice from the locals.
The Olive Harvest
Our small farm has 110 about olive trees, which in a poor year yields around 350 kg of olives. Harvesting is a rewarding yet physical task: after laying the nets, we gently encourage the olives to fall using long sticks. Our trees are quite old, so we avoid industrial methods and take a more traditional, hands-on approach. From 350 kg of olives, we produce about 50 litres of oil—more than enough for personal use, though not to make a business. We typically harvest early, resulting in a high-quality oil with vibrant grassy and peppery notes—perfect for salads or dipping with fresh bread.
We love the quality of our home grown produce, we have the olive trees and therefore once a year oil that we bottle. At harvest time we have almonds, walnuts and figs in abundance, not to mention a wide range of vegetables and fruits from the huerta (vegetable garden) it becomes a question of how to save or share our products, so often a friendly neighbour will without warning arrive at the gate with a basket of something, potatoes, onions and more garlic than can be consumed in a year.
Beer and Wine
We have vines growing over our terrace and produce our own white wine, which turns out surprisingly well-balanced. Each harvest yields between 100–150 kg of grapes, so we’re never short on wine. I use a range of gadgets to monitor things like pH and sugar levels—details that really matter in winemaking. The result is a crisp, clear white wine that’s perfect for a lunch under the vines.
From my perspective, brewing beer is actually more complex than making wine. It all starts with the quality of the water—tap water simply doesn’t cut it. I prefer brewing an IPA with a flavour profile similar to BrewDog’s: bright, citrusy, and fruit-forward. Achieving that involves a blend of Munich and Pale Ale malts, a careful mashing process, timed hop additions, and rapid cooling before fermentation. I brew in small batches of 25–30 litres, which doesn’t last long when shared with friends—especially now they all prefer it over the local beer!
One of the real challenges when riding a motorbike—especially on tour—is not being able to enjoy a drink with lunch or after a ride without compromising safety. Fortunately, the world of alcohol-free drinks has come a long way. There’s been a fantastic rise in sophisticated, zero-alcohol options that still feel grown-up and satisfying. From alcohol-free gins and botanical spirits to full-flavoured beers like Guinness 0.0 and BrewDog’s excellent 0% IPA, there are now plenty of options that let you enjoy the ritual of a drink without the risk. It’s a game-changer for riders who want to keep things social without sacrificing control.