The Marquis of Nájera's stew returns to Marbella for its 50th anniversary

The Marqués de Nájera stew, an event that for decades has brought together Marbella's jet-set and marked the start of Christmas in the Costa del Sol town, has returned to Malaga province to celebrate its fiftieth anniversary. The gastronomic party organised around this dish was held at the Kimpton Los Monteros hotel in Marbella and was prepared by Michelin-starred chef José Carlos García, who is head of the hotel's gastronomic project.

Since 1972, when it was started, the stew has been a meeting point for Marbella society. It was started by Ángel Fernández de Liencres y de la Viesca, the fourth Marqués de Nájera, who was then the honorary president of the Los Montero complex, in the restaurant El Corzo, which was the first restaurant in the hotel to be awarded a Michelin star.

Marbella historian Paco Moyano recalls that this event was born as "a public relations operation" to unite collaborators, tour operators, travel agencies and the media around Christmas and over the years "it has become an essential event in the town", attracting up to 400 people. "It is clear that establishing relationships around a table, tasting a good stew, strengthens bonds that last for a long time. There is no doubt that the Marqués de Nájera was very clear about this", he adds.

Although born in Madrid in 1896, the Marquis made his career on the Costa del Sol. He began working in Torremolinos, where he was linked to the El Remo restaurant in Montemar, which was a meeting place for celebrities visiting the coast, especially from the world of cinema. Later, after promoting the first golf course in Malaga, he established a relationship with the Goizueta family and in 1959 he became the first director of the Golf Hotel Guadalmina.

His relationship with the Los Monteros hotel came years later, when he met the banker Ignacio Coca, who was the promoter of the Los Monteros development. "He named him honorary president, something that could be interpreted as recognition but which in reality meant rigorous work by the marquis as a true public relations officer that benefited Los Monteros and Marbella as a whole," recalls Paco Moyano.

The revival of this Christmas tradition this year has been possible following the reopening of the hotel and was attended on Thursday 20 November by around 140 people, who gathered in the modern Jara restaurant. After the usual appetizers, the noodle soup was served, followed by chickpeas with potatoes and vegetables, then meat with chorizo and black pudding, and finally the "madrileña bola" (a typical dish from Madrid).

The hotel's kitchen team began preparing the stew on Monday to ensure that all the dishes were cooked to perfection. One of their greatest challenges was to make sure it was low in fat so that it was not too filling and everyone liked it. "It's a marvellous thing that he has recovered," said those in attendance.

Before the start of the meal, the hotel's director, Merry Antoja, was particularly pleased because the stew is "a mythical event; one of our great celebrations". In this case they have tried to "bring it to the present day with a more modern and contemporary style". "The stew aims to light up Christmas in Marbella and raise the first toast", she added.