Cooking for the community after the 2024 floods

Tomasz Radomski and Kasia Radomska hadn't lived in Benamargosa long before large parts of the village were flooded during the 'Dana' of 13 November 2024. It was one of the worst affected villages in Malaga province and businesses and homes were severely damaged when the Benamargosa river burst its banks.

However, the community came together with the huge clean-up operation and it gave Tomasz, 45, and Kasia, 44, an opportunity to get involved, get to know their neighbours and do what they love best: "feed people".

The couple are originally from Poland and before coming to Spain had lived in Scotland, where they were involved in the catering business for 20 years. Tomasz is a trained chef and when they decided to move to Spain, they were keen to continue working in the sector they were familiar with. Kasia explains, "We were both helping with cleaning. Thomas works super fast, so very quickly he gained the nickname 'loco Polaco'" (Crazy Pole).

She highlights a cultural difference in the way that work stopped at 2pm for lunch: "He couldn't get used to stopping whatever he was doing at 2pm because it was time for food and café con anís," she laughs.

Then came the idea of helping out by doing what they do best: "One of our favourite places in the village, El Pub, was badly damaged during the flood. Volunteers were working nonstop, cold and exhausted, so we made hot meals and coffee for everyone. It was a small gesture, but it meant a lot to the people here. It was the moment we truly felt welcomed into the village." Kasia adds, "Food connects people - that's what keeps us going. Feeding people makes us happy."

The couple had moved to Benamargosa in February 2024, having decided to leave Scotland for warmer climes: "After years of Scottish weather, we wanted a warmer, happier lifestyle, somewhere we could cook outdoors, still use fresh local produce and enjoy a slower pace. Andalucía felt perfect," they explain.

They add that while they were looking for a place to settle, "Benamargosa won our hearts straight away. The people, the tranquillity, the mangoes, the community... it felt like a place where we could build something real. And we did."

Tomasz and Kasia still have friends and relatives in Poland and Scotland whom they visit regularly and who come to see them in Benamargosa, including their 25-year-old daughter, Aleksandra, who stayed in the UK and works as a teacher of History and Politics.

Kasia explains that Aleksandra was just four and a half when the family moved from Poland to Scotland and says they ended up there "completely by chance" through a friend who was working in Edinburgh at the time.

When the friend returned to Poland for a visit, the group talked about the possibility of Tomasz "going and earning some extra money". Three weeks later he was there and Kasia says she and Aleksandra joined nine months later.

Now they provide Sunday lunches at El Pub, which is Spanish-owned and has reopened since the devastating flood. They get a good crowd of foreign and Spanish diners every week: "We wanted to do something for local people and since we know everyone at El Pub we thought something like a Sunday lunch club to bring our community together would be a good thing to do. There is a mixture of people - Spanish and foreign, almost half and half."

Through their catering company, Taste of Heaven, they have also started providing food for community and charity events in the Axarquía, including the Axarquía Business Network event in November and the British Benevolent Fund fundraiser happening in Torre del Mar in December.

"It's an honour to cook for charities and community events. This is what we love most about Andalucía: people actually care," Kasia says.

Tomasz and Kasia say they "feel settled" and part of the community here. "Benamargosa feels like the place we were meant to find," they agree.