ABOUT LA TIENDA

En Español

- Bilingual, family company - on the web since 1996
- Hundreds of thousands of orders shipped in USA, Canada and Europe
- Experienced company with the largest selection of Spanish food online
- Supporting artisanal and small family firms in Spain
- Warehouses in Williamsburg, Virginia and Alicante, Spain

We founded La Tienda.com in 1996 in Williamsburg, Virginia. Our family lived in Spain during the 1970's, and our goal was to share with our neighbors a taste of Spain -- as well as her grace, warmth and traditions -- which have brought so much to our lives, as a family.

Our company has grown steadily over the years, until today we have gathered over 700 fine products from this fascinating country of Spain. To serve North America, Europe and the United Kingdom, we have a distribution center in Virginia and one in Spain, which provides the broadest selection of quality Spanish food and related products available anywhere.

Family is our focus, just as the family is central to life in Spain, and we hope to share that emphasis with everyone we work with: you our customers, our employees, and our vendors. And of course nothing brings a family together like a wonderful meal accompanied by a bottle of wine!

Consistent with our purpose, LaTienda.com supports a healthy and productive work environment for our employees in Spain and in Virginia. In America all our employees receive paid health and dental care, life insurance and language classes in English and in Spanish.

We travel to Spain frequently, renewing friendships with those who provide us with their fine products, as well as finding new and interesting artisanal items to add to the growing list of products available online and through our catalog.

Whenever possible, we seek small family-run businesses in Spain, many of whom are continuing food-making traditions that go back generations. In addition, we are sensitive to issues concerning sustainable agriculture and fisheries, and to the ethical treatment of animals. We hope to help our Spanish neighbors stay connected to the land and their traditions. In turn, we hope that you will enjoy in your home the authentic flavors of Spain that have enriched our lives.

Of course, none of this would be possible without a fundamental commitment to your experience as a customer. Many of our best products were suggested by our customers and we encourage and benefit from a very active relationship with our wonderful customers. If you are dissatisfied with any product, ever, we will refund or replace your purchase.

Whether you are from Spain, related to a Spaniard or just love the country and her food, we hope that you find LaTienda.com to be a welcoming place. From our website to our catalog, we have built it ourselves, and we are always happy to hear from you. Welcome to La Tienda.

The Harris Family

Now how exactly did the Harris family get so involved with Spain?

Our appreciation of the traditional Spanish culture began about forty-five years ago, and continues to grow each year as our family visits more of the by-ways of Spain, experiencing the regional traditions that make Spain unique. In particular, we value the ways that artisans produce their food. They have a pace and method that is time honored, and we are committed to supporting their traditional way of life by bringing their hand made products to a broader market.

Don, the father of the family, first experienced Spain when he stepped ashore as a young US Navy chaplain in 1965. Eight years later, he and his wife Ruth raised their young family among the sherry bodegas of El Puerto de Santa María (Cádiz) when Don was stationed at Base Naval de Rota. As they enjoyed life with their sons in a Spanish neighborhood, they grew to appreciate the personal dimension of Spanish life where children are cherished, and family ties are central. They have carried that appreciation forward into the formation of La Tienda.com where two of their three sons, Jonathan and Tim, are responsible for the day to day operation of the business.

Jonathan, the middle son of three, has been with LaTienda.com since the very beginning and is responsible for the look and feel of the website and our catalog. A fine arts major, musician and cook, Jonathan spent a summer walking the Camino de Santiago during college and returned to walk it again with his wife Stacey several years later for their honeymoon.

Tim, the eldest, is responsible for much of the operational and financial side of the business and joined LaTienda.com in 2002 after founding and operating several Internet startups during the 90's. He spent his first years of primary school at El Centro Ingles in El Puerto de Santa Maria and returned many times to Spain while growing up.

Christopher, the youngest, is a diplomat with the US Foreign Service and while not involved with the business directly, consults closely with his family on LaTienda matters.

For a more detailed account of haw La Tienda.com came to be, you can read Don's reflection A Love Affair with Spain: How La Tienda Began.