Interview with Enrique Tomás, Global Partner of Tech Barcelona

Enrique Tomás is ham, entrepreneurship and innovation. He has been since he started his first shop at the age of 16, a bacon shop in the Salut market in Badalona. He now has more than 100 shops in ten countries, including the recent opening of the gastronomic space at Pier01 at Tech Barcelona.

From selling hams on the radio to devising the new Jamón Experience concept, Enrique Tomás has also become famous for his creativity: he organised a massive Isabel Pantoja concert for which tickets could only be obtained by buying a shoulder of ham. Enrique Tomás is a self-made entrepreneur made with passion, and that is how he has managed to put a name and surname to ham. Although sometimes, he says, “success comes with failure”. “I have made many mistakes, but none of them have compromised the company”.

The experience of a traditional entrepreneur is always a great learning experience, also for technological start-ups. “The future of food is delivery, I see it almost impossible for someone to buy something today in case they want it the day after tomorrow”. Why do we all order sushi or pizza and not a plate or a ham sandwich?

Enrique Tomás arrival at Tech Barcelona goes beyond the new gastronomic space at Pier01. As a Global Partner, Enrique Tomás counts on Barcelona’s technological ecosystem to develop its global growth strategy. In the words of Enrique Tomás, “you have to show us how to take the world of ham to its maximum digitalisation”.