Barón de Ley and Kingsland Drinks bring the essence of Spain to the UK in new summer campaign with Omar Allibhoy

Kingsland Drinks and Barón de Ley will target UK wine drinkers with a consumer campaign, headed up by celebrity chef, Omar Allibhoy, also known as “The Spanish Chef.”  

The campaign will highlight Baron de Ley’s provenance, passion and heritage and celebrate the very essence of Spanish food and wine.  Omar – famed for being Ferran Adrià’s protégé – will create bespoke consumer content that will highlight the very best of the country’s cuisine with recipes and tips for wine pairing. Retailers will also see the campaign unfold in stores with bottle neck collars and in-store activity for the brand, alongside an extensive digital campaign to maximise reach. 

The activity launches at a pivotal time for Rioja in the UK; according to Nielsen data released recently by the Consejo Regulador, the UK is the largest export market for Rioja and – despite the Covid19 pandemic – sales were up by 18% in 2020, proving that the UK’s love affair with Rioja is still burgeoning. 

Barón de Ley has a long history, steeped in tradition. Housed in a centuries-old monastery, where the monks made wine more than 500 years ago, Barón de Ley was founded in 1985 as a ground-breaking project in DOCa Rioja: a vineyard-focused winery inspired by the Médoc châteaux.  It currently produces a number of award-winning wines – such as a Reserva, a Gran Reserva, a Graciano and a Rioja Blanco – that are sold in UK supermarkets, including Tesco, Co-op and Waitrose. 

Pete Fairclough, Brand Manager for Kingsland Drinks, said: With Rioja growing as a category and summer approaching, now is the time for retailers to get behind these wonderful wines.  

“Historically Spanish wine has been created to complement their cuisine, this ethos remains true to this day. The campaign aims to give UK wine drinkers the confidence to pick up a bottle of Barón de Ley from their local supermarket and explore the recipes created by Omar Allibhoy at home.” 

“As well as including the engaging and distinctive celebrity chef content that is designed to get UK consumers cooking up some Spanish classics, the initiative will see Barón de Ley bottles adorned with neck collars giving details of a competition with a money-can’t-buy prize to win a trip to the historic winery in Rioja to learn to cook with Omar Allibhoy, as well as a range of in-store promotions that will run alongside the main campaign activations.” 

Omar Allibhoy commented: Together with Barón de Ley, we are bringing a flavour of our great gastronomy and incredible wines to UK consumers. People all around the UK can’t wait to go on holidays to Spain – everyone is dreaming about it and picturing themselves sipping on a glass of Rioja and enjoying some tapas under the sun – but until then, we are bringing the dream that bit closer for everyone with the series of Spanish recipes and wine pairing tips.” 

Martha Perry from Barón de Ley, said: “The Barón de Ley brand is known for its passion, tradition and sophistication within the Rioja category. Our priority was to communicate these values with the campaign.  

“We love Rioja; it is our home and we are dedicated to enriching lives through wine. We believe celebration and sharing a meal with wine around a table are important parts of human connection and making life enjoyable. The campaign will pique the interest of British wine drinkers; bringing new drinkers to the Rioja category and persuading lovers of the style to try our incredible wines and find their new favourites to drink alongside homemade Spanish classics.” 

The campaign will kick off this month whereby Omar will whip up a Moruno marinated pork chop and pair it with the iconic Barón de Ley Reserva. The red berry fruit is a perfect counterpoint to the moruno spices and charred flavours, while the refreshing amount of acidity and delicate bite of oaky tannin elevate the pork’s texture. The competition is now live with neck collars and a new landing page for the competition and campaign hub. 

For further information on stocking the Barón de Ley brand, please contact info@kingsland-drinks.com 

Further information on the consumer campaign can be found here: https://www.barondeley.com/thespanishchef/