LIVING

For the space and location we thought this place was the best value for money. It’s a great size with a high ceiling, which is unusual. Noise is an issue in Barcelona, and it was already soundproofed. It took us three months to redecorate.

We had some money and we wrote a kick-arse 24-page business plan, translated it into Spanish and approached three banks. The first two insisted on property in Spain as a guarantee. But when we approached the third, the Catalan government had just announced that it wanted to give first-time businesses a boost, so we got a loan that covered a quarter of our costs. Things are different now with the recession. You may find it impossible to get a loan but there are three times as many places up for lease. Rents may not be lower, but the deposit may be.

Inspections! That’s the scary word. Guàrdia Urbana deals with complaints from neighbours. Mossos check on safety features and insurance. In 2007, there was a clampdown on employing illegal staff. If you employ anyone without papers they can shut you down. We’ve been inspected twice in a year, and we take no risks.

Dean Malcolm has run his importing business Australian Gourmet (www.australiangourmets.com) for 10 years. He must renew his licence every five.

I obtained the licence from the Registre Sanitari d’Indústries i Productes Alimentaris Catalan (RSIPAC), the Catalan wing of the Spanish health department. It entitles me to import and distribute farmed meat and wild game.

In New Zealand, livestock is grass-fed in fresh air, and is hormone-free. Farming techniques are sophisticated, as the dimensions are larger. Here, I mainly deal to hotels and restaurants. There is a growing market for high quality and organic products.

I presented a business plan covering everything from the origin of the product to its distribution. Meat importation is strictly regulated by the EU. Go into any cold store in Europe, and you can trace products to where and when they were produced.

I ship meat in by sea, which takes about five weeks. It arrives in Belgium or Holland, then is transported to Barcelona. You are subject to quotas and taxes with lamb and beef. Speciality meats, like kangaroo, have no quota, but you pay more to import it. On top of that, I pay Spanish IVA [VAT]. I have tried to import other products, such as wine, but it’s heavily taxed and I couldn’t compete with the established Spanish wine

market.

Trade barriers are restrictive and elitist. New Zealand has strong historical links while Brazil is a country that’s gaining ground politically and economically. But many other Latin American or African countries are blocked from selling their products, and can’t develop.

My competitors are giant companies that sell at knockdown prices to monopolise the market: it’s bad for the environment and farmers who produce a quality product get a raw deal. I’d love to organise a means for New Zealand farmers to benefit directly from the sale of their products.