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At Los Roques we like to use fresh local produce, and it doesn’t get much more fresh or local than at the many agricultural markets dotted around the island. The markets are run by the local town halls and allow producers in each region to sell what they have directly to the public.

Here we follow Seba as he goes around one of the markets local to Los Roques, the Mercado del Agricultor San Miguel in Las Chafiras.

As head chef, Seba likes to go there as often as possible. “I like it because I can talk to the producers. They know what they have and can tell me about it. I can choose the produce that I feel is best for our customers, the freshest, the best quality, and that’s important” says Seba.

“Products from some usual restaurant suppliers can be weeks old, especially imported products, but these are fresh and have the best flavour. The prices can be higher, but our customers expect the best.“ The freshness is essential for the dishes on the menu. “For example our roasted vegetable salad would not be as good if we used imported products.”

There’s a stunning variety of fruits, vegetables and herbs available, and you’ll often see new things.

As a regular customer he has also built up a good relationship with many of the producers. They will let him know what’s new or what may be of interest. “I like it when producers show me something new. With the climate here it seems like almost anything can be grown in Tenerife. It’s good to have such variety.”

Although there might be new products they don’t always get used in the restaurant. “We will try new things and see if we can put them into the menu, but sometimes it just doesn’t work. Sometimes the product isn’t the right choice for the current menu, sometimes it isn’t available for enough time, or we can’t get enough of it. Sometimes it’s perfect and then we have a good dish.”

The market isn’t just for businesess to buy, however. It’s open to everybody, and has more than just fruit and vegetables. “As well we buy cheese and yoghurt from suppliers here. These are fantastic ingredients for so many things we have, like yoghurt dressing for the salad, cheese for the tortellini. The products in supermarkets aren’t as good.”

Other products available at the markets include bread, pastries, honey, and of course mojo to name just a few.

There are agricultural markets all over the island, all with stallholders selling their own produce. “At Los Roques we’re lucky to have two so nearby. We buy produce from the San Miguel market in Las Chafiras and from the Granadilla market in San Isidro. They all have different things to offer.”

Here in Tenerife we are lucky to live in a place with so much produce, and the agricultural markets are an essential destination for food lovers.

The San Miguel market is located near the fire station in Las Chafiras and is open from 8am until 2pm on Saturday and Sunday, and from 2pm until 7:30pm on Wednesdays.