The San Pedro native who taught Canada how to eat jamón

"They didn't know what it was, they thought it might be bacon, prosciutto or wild boar." Antonio Romero knew exactly what he had to do: teach Canadians how to eat jamón. He started by organising events and even giving it away for free. Today, twelve years after arriving in Vancouver, this man from Malaga can proudly claim to have built ARC Ibérico Imports and Antonio Romero Productos Españoles, two brands through which he is introducing Iberian produce and other Spanish goods to the other side of the Atlantic, from preserves to olive oils and carabinero prawns.

"Above all, we are doing educational work. We have organised many events, especially to position the Spain brand in Canada. Always with the idea that we don't sell products, we sell experiences," says Romero, who grew up surrounded by hams in his family's bar, Los Labradores, in San Pedro Alcántara.

It was during a spell in London in 2010, however, that his passion for jamón deepened. He trained as a ham carver and honed his technique at restaurants such as Brindisa and Tozino. Canada then became the perfect proving ground. There he became the first professional maestro jamonero and began building his name with Jamonería by ARC, a shop-bar inspired by his London experience: "I took the concept from there; you can have jamón, a toast with anchovies, Galician-style octopus... and everything you eat you can also buy. Our products are for private customers, businesses, a camping trip or a gift. Ultimately, it represents the Spanish way of life."

Romero takes great care over everything from the product itself to the service and packaging: "You can come in to buy a leg of ham and end up staying for dinner." He now has two premises in Vancouver, the latest, just opened under the name Ultramarinos Pepe, and has recently made his debut in Spain, opening his own shop-bar on Avenida Puerta del Mar in Marbella, with seating for around 30 to 40 people.

"Last year we took our own stand at the Salón Gourmets and received very positive feedback nationally. That encouraged me to look for premises in Marbella and to strengthen online sales in Spain," explains this restless Malagueño, who now leads a team of around thirty people across Spain and Canada. The Marbella Jamonería, he says, will be "the first of others we want to open, in Malaga and Madrid, for example - but the intention is to go step by step."

His own label, Antonio Romero Productos Españoles, was born out of difficulties with certain distributors and has since expanded into charcuterie, preserves, oils, crisps, olives and nuts. "We have always been very passionate about premium products," he emphasises. Antonio is now a distributor in Canada for brands such as Cinco Jotas and Cola Cao. His motto says it all: Born in Spain.