In this episode, Vicki McLeod welcomes food writer and Mallorca restaurant reviewer Jan Edwards back to the studio for a wide-ranging conversation about food, restaurants and life on the island.

Jan begins with the new edition of the Chefs(in) guide, a restaurant and cocktail bar guide covering Mallorca and the Balearics, before she and Vicki dive into chef culture, why the restaurant industry can still be difficult for women, and how changing dining habits may make the industry more family-friendly in future.

The conversation moves through new and notable restaurants, including El Bandarra, Selvacha, Shima at Hotel Formentor, Brusca brew pub in Manacor, Blanca Terra winery restaurant near Montuïri, Molí de Sant Rafel in Llubí and Ponderosa Beach.

Jan also explains how she approaches restaurant reviews, why she usually pays for her own meals, and why honest, unannounced reviewing matters.

There is also time for wine fairs, the Mallorca 312 traffic problem, Books Uncorked, literary dinners in Valldemossa, restaurant gossip, chef moves, Protur Chef, Reserva Rotana and a mention for Bhukkad Boca.

It is a warm, funny and food-filled episode for anyone who enjoys eating out in Mallorca, or simply likes hearing two women talk honestly about restaurants, real life and where to find the good stuff.

00:00 Introduction

00:20 Jan Edwards returns to the studio

01:30 The new Chefs(in) guide

03:50 Chef culture and restaurant associations

04:40 Why are most chefs men?

07:20 Lunch, dinner and changing dining habits

08:55 Restaurants Jan wants to try

10:45 Shima at Hotel Formentor

11:30 Where to find the Chefs(in) guide

12:10 Sóller restaurants and Tuesday night closures

14:15 Brusca brew pub in Manacor

17:30 Eating out, balance and cheese

18:30 Beer tasting and flights

20:00 Traffic, cyclists and the Pollença wine fair

22:50 Blanca Terra winery restaurant

25:00 Terra Gust and farm-to-table food

27:40 Molí de Sant Rafel in Llubí

28:15 The bee museum in Llubí

30:00 Beef, barbecue and family restaurants

32:35 Why paella is a lunchtime dish

34:30 Ponderosa Beach

36:10 How Jan reviews restaurants

39:30 Books Uncorked

41:00 Literary dinners in Valldemossa

44:25 Andrés Benítez leaves Botànic

46:40 Protur Chef competition

51:30 Reserva Rotana

53:20 Aethos Mallorca in Peguera

55:00 Where to find Jan’s reviews

56:00 Bhukkad Boca recommendation

57:15 Closing thoughts

In this episode, Vicki McLeod sits down with long-time Mallorca resident Justin Jones for a moving and deeply human conversation about life before and after the accident that changed everything.

Justin originally came from George, South Africa, before moving to the UK and later to Mallorca after visiting his brother on the island. What began as a weekend visit soon turned into a new life, first through Balearic Adventures, then through metalwork and Balearic Coating Solutions.

The conversation covers the reality of building a business in Mallorca, the importance of reputation, word of mouth and community, and why the island can be such a rewarding place for people willing to work hard and show up properly.

Justin then speaks openly about the catastrophic car accident that left him with life-changing injuries. He remembers the crash, the rescue, the weeks in a coma, the operations, the hallucinations, the medical decisions, and the people who fought to save his limbs and his future.

He also talks about the emotional aftermath: depression, isolation, dependency, pain, family changes, and the people who kept turning up when he needed them most.

The episode also looks forward. Through a specialist hand trike, Justin has found a new way to move, train and experience Mallorca again. With the support of friends, physiotherapist Tracy Evans, Oliver Neilson and the Six Points community, he is now preparing to take on the Six Points Challenge, raising money for local charities and proving, in his own way, that life can still open new doors.

This is a story about survival, friendship, Mallorca, sport, mental health and the stubborn decision to keep going.

00:00 Introduction

00:20 Welcome to Justin Jones

00:45 Growing up in South Africa

01:40 Moving to the UK

03:20 First visit to Mallorca

04:30 Moving to Mallorca with Marie

05:00 Balearic Adventures and the Zorb years

06:00 Why Mallorca felt familiar after South Africa

07:40 Raising children in Mallorca

10:50 Life and business on the island

12:20 Balearic Metal Projects and Balearic Coating Solutions

14:00 Starting small and building a business

15:15 Reputation, marketing and word of mouth in Mallorca

16:40 The car accident

18:10 Son Espases, coma and life support

19:15 Remembering the impact

22:30 The alternate reality during the coma

25:20 Operations and medical miracles

28:40 What Justin has lost and what may still be possible

31:00 Fighting to keep his limbs

33:30 Tracy Evans and the physiotherapy journey

35:30 Coming home during Covid

36:10 Gratitude, positivity and perspective

37:30 Life after the accident

39:40 Insurance, court and the Spanish system

42:50 Depression and isolation

44:00 Getting out again

45:45 Discovering the hand trike

47:00 Cycling again for the first time

49:00 Meeting Oliver on the road

50:30 Six Points and charity cycling

52:50 Sport, fitness and mental health

55:30 Raising money for local charities

59:30 Advice for anyone struggling

01:00:45 Closing thoughts

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Oliver Neilson talks to Shirley Roberts of Sollerweb about life in Sóller, changing seasons, local fiestas, tourism, traffic, housing, restaurants and the communities that keep the valley alive.

Here is a link to the agenda for the firo on SollerWeb, and make sure you visit back, she writes about life in the valley every day. https://l1nq.com/sr9k8q0

...and if you can't get a wristband for access to the plaza for the final moors and Christians battle, you should be able to watch it on IB3, the Balearics TV channel, here is there YouTube account. https://www.youtube.com/IB3

In this episode, Oliver Neilson is joined by Shirley Roberts, the writer behind Sollerweb and a long-standing voice of the Sóller Valley.

The conversation begins with the change of season in Mallorca, from winter calm to the early signs of summer, and the welcome news that rainfall has helped ease water concerns for the months ahead. Shirley and Oliver discuss why Sóller becomes so busy early in the year, especially with day trippers arriving by train, tram, bus and hire car.

They also look at the practical realities of life in a popular destination: traffic through the tunnel, parking changes, residents’ zones, the role of the Consell, increased bus services and why visitors are best advised to leave the car behind where possible.

The conversation moves through Deià, cycling season, Mallorca 312, the pressures on housing, the realities behind second homes and empty properties, and the often misunderstood relationship between tourism, employment and local life.

A major part of the episode is dedicated to the Firó de Sóller, one of Mallorca’s most dramatic and emotional traditional fiestas. Shirley explains the story of the Moors and Christians, the beach battles, the final battle in the square, the role of the Valentes Dones and the newer children’s Firó, which she describes as unmissable.

Finally, Shirley shares her thoughts on the changing restaurant scene in Sóller and Port de Sóller, from local food and traditional dishes to late lunches, private chefs, takeaways and the island-wide shift in how people are eating out.

00:00 Introduction

00:20 Shirley Roberts returns to the podcast

01:00 Water, rain and the start of the season

02:00 Shirley’s work with the Majorca Daily Bulletin

03:00 Sóller, Port de Sóller, Fornalutx, Biniaraix and Deià

04:00 English-speaking communities and the Anglican Church in Palma

05:30 Winter in Mallorca and the George Sand myth

06:40 Why Sóller is such a popular day trip

08:30 Traffic, the tunnel and the main road into Sóller

10:30 Parking changes, green lines and blue lines

13:00 Port de Sóller improvements and pedestrianisation

15:00 Mallorca 312 and cycling season

18:30 Deià, buses, taxis and getting around

21:30 Second-hand markets and the reality of local incomes

23:00 Housing, second homes and empty properties

28:30 La Huerta, family homes and local life

30:30 The Firó de Sóller explained

33:30 The children’s Firó

35:30 Smoke, gunpowder, pirates and tradition

37:30 Summer changes in Sóller

39:30 Restaurants, late lunches and private chefs

43:30 Local Mallorcan food and where to eat

46:30 Shirley’s restaurant recommendations

49:00 Where to find Sollerweb

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