Leading Spanish olive oil brand Carbonell has signed a partnership agreement with Formula 1 team HRT in the past week. The deal makes Carbonell the first and only Spanish food brand to become part of Formula 1 racing. The partnership means that not only will the brand’s logo be on drivers suits, but its products, including olive oil, will be integrated into the Spanish gastronomic experience that HRT have created in conjunction with Arzak-Bokado.
The HRT motor sport team has created a unique dining experience around Formula 1, so it is fitting for the team to form a partnership with a food brand.
The partnership with Arzak-Bokado, the catering company established by chef Ferran Adría, of the famed Arzak restaurant, involves a group of chefs travelling with the team and cooking from a motor home on the European circuit, or kitchen facilities during overseas races. A gastronomic experience is created to suit the team and their guests using high quality ingredients that showcase Spanish cuisine.
In addition to these menus, the gourmet experience includes such activities as cooking demonstrations, or “lightning pintxos”, and is held on the Sunday before the race for team members, international press and Formula 1 organizers.
As part of this new partnership, Carbonell will be the exclusive provider of olive oil, vinegars and olives for these gastronomic events. Team Principal for HRT, Luis Pérez-Sala, supported the agreement, saying that Carbonell integrated perfectly with their gastronomic partners to offer a gourmet experience made from Spanish and fusion cuisine.
The partnership is likely to give huge exposure to the brand due to the far reaching scope of Formula 1 around the world. Managing Director of Deoleo S.A., the group which owns the brand, José María Collantes, said that the partnership between HRT, Carbonell and Arzak would strengthen the link between Formula 1 and the gastronomic world and that Carbonell would take part in every aspect related to the teams kitchen, as well as culinary activities organized by HRT. He also remarked that by supporting such a popular sport as Formula 1, Carbonell would have great visibility and secure its place as an innovative brand in the world of olive oil, vinegar and olives.
Established more than 145 years ago, Carbonell is one of the world’s leading olive oil brands, with its products available in over sixty countries. The brand is part of the Deoleo S.A. group, the Spanish food powerhouse that is the worldwide leader in bottled olive oil. The agreement between Carbonell and HRT goes through the end of 2012 with the option to extend.
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