Kenilworth Nub News aims to be supportive to every element of the community from businesses, shops, and people, to charities, clubs and sports organisations.

We will be profiling some of these local businesses, and groups regularly over the coming weeks in a feature called 'Up Close With'.

The fifth in this series is with the newest takeaway business in town, Yaya's Paella's.

"I think people will be pleasantly surprised, its so different to a normal takeaway, and a nice chance to experience something new."[H2]

These are the words of Peter Lancett, co-founder of Yaya's Paella's. Peter and his wife Raquel are the the people behind Yaya's Paella's, the newest takeaway service to come to Kenilworth.

Yaya's offer five different takes on traditional Valencian paella to customers, available for groups of four to fifteen diners at a time. They are also now offering paellas for two people, perfect for couples.

Chose from Shellfish, Fish, Vegetarian, Meat, and Rustica (with fresh meatballs).

Delivering on Fridays, Saturdays and Sundays, this new venture is hoping to bring a taste of Spain to Kenilworth.

Peter and Raquel will be running the business from their home for the time being. They have converted some of their garage to be a commercial kitchen, and can also cook under the pergola in their garden.

We spoke to Peter this week to find out more about what has inspired him and his wife to start such an exciting enterprise.

[H2]From the south of Wales to the west of Spain

Welshman Peter was born and raised near Cardiff. However, some twenty years ago he swapped his life in the UK for the slightly warmer climate of Spain, where he would meet his future wife.

Peter and his family moved to England around eighteen months ago, settling in Kenilworth. Unfortunately, due to the coronavirus pandemic Peter lost his job as an engineer.

Whilst back in Spain in Valencia this summer, Peter got talking to his mother-in-law, Amalia, about how a paella takeaway business back in the UK could be a fantastic opportunity.

Having looked into what was available locally in Warwickshire, as well as across the UK, Peter realised that he had found a real gap in the market, and so Yaya's Paella's was born.

Avid-cooks Peter and Raquel spent the next six weeks learning everything there was to know about paella from Amalia.

She has been cooking paella since she was 12 years old, having been taught by her mother, and has won ten cooking titles in Valencia for her paella. Not the worst mentor to have!

'Yaya' – Valencian for grandmother – was fostered as the name for the business as the family returned to the UK, a touching homage to a lady who had been so instrumental in the formation of this new eatery.

"She was over the moon about it," says Peter, "and the recipes that she just had in her head were incredible."

A taste of Spain

Eager to follow everything that Amalia has taught them, Yaya's aims to be as authentic as possible.

All of the arroz bomba rice that they use is imported directly from Valencia; it is much smaller, rounder and absorbent than your normal long grain rice.

"I'd love to use Valencian fish as well, but obviously that is just not practical."

All of their equipment was also couriered over from Spain, including the paelleros (paella pans) that the takeaways are delivered in. "We want to keep using the paelleros," says Peter, "its keeps that authenticity then, as well as keeping the food hot!"

There are also two ways of cooking paella – on gas or on wood. Yaya's currently operates using the former, although only because of local regulations about smoke.

Peter would love to cook on wood, the traditional way, as Amalia taught him.

"It is much more difficult to cook on wood as you have to regulate the fire and the heat, it becomes a very intense cooking period."

Aside from obviously fresh ingredients, and authentic preparation, the recipes also follow Amalia's instructions.

Appropriate vegetables in artichokes and beans are included, and chorizo is definitely not! A big bone of controversy when Jamie Oliver used it in a recipe some years ago, Raquel agrees with her Spanish compatriots and has said "never, Peter, will you put chorizo in a paella, never!"

First Outing

Once back in the UK, Peter and Raquel had to find some willing volunteers to help test-run their new business.

Perhaps to say thank you for not complaining about the range of smells now coming from their garden, the two invited their neighbours to join them for a paella on the first weekend of the month.

"It was a lovely evening," says Peter.

"One of my neighbours said that he was a really fussy eater, but afterwards said that paella was his new favourite food!"

High praise indeed.

Yaya's has now opened for business, and they served their first paying customers last Saturday.

"The reception was great, it was a fabulous meal they said, and gave us really great feedback."

In fact, there was so much that the guests were able to enjoy seconds, and thirds! "Afterwards they even told us that at £40 for four people, it was too cheap!"

Looking forward

Whilst for the time being Yaya's will be operating on a delivery-only basis, they do have high hopes for the future.

Yaya's is already offering catering for events, where they will be able to bring all their own equipment and ingredients to the site in order to cook fresh, delicious paella to suit the needs of the individual clients.

This is not all though, "if the demand is great enough, ultimately we would love to open our own premises."

If this is possible, the couple will hope to be able to offer diners the chance to sample paella cooked both on gas and wood, as well as a wider range of other authentic Valencian dishes.

"In the future we want our customers to taste the difference between wood and gas-prepared Paella. When cooked with wood, it is smokier, especially with fresh Artichokes, you can really taste the difference."

Using no additives, and only the freshest ingredients, they were also keen to stress that paella "is healthy, very very healthy," compared to your average takeaway.

Certainly Yaya's Paella's are already offering something unique, and exciting to the people of Kenilworth. A fabulous meal, as well as an enjoyable spectacle.

Follow this link to their website to place your order for this weekend!