Menu del Dia with Laura of Cafe Can Nas
Lucy Hawkins, our Food & Drinks Columnist, is back with her Menu del Dia series of interviews of different people who have settled here. Join her and get to know how other people enjoy life in the North of Mallorca.
This week, Lucy talks to Laura of the very popular Cafe Can Nas in Plaza Vella in Pollensa.
Can you tell me about yourself, where you’re from and how you came to run the cafe?
My name is Laura, I was born and raised in a small village near Manacor called Calas de Mallorca. My mum’s family is from Pollença. My uncle currently owns the building where Can Nas Cafeteria is located.
The idea of opening a cafe came from my parents-in-law. They have been running cafeterias in Madrid since forever, with more than 40 years’ experience. They were the ones pushing us to do something with this emblematic space. My love for my grandfather who created the bakery, and the desire to make the old ovens accessible to the local people was important to me and I decided to start this new project and adventure. It is my first time owning a business. In the past, I would never have seen myself in this role since I was always scared of starting something on my own. But here I am now and it will soon Can Nas’ 4th month anniversary!
Can you tell me the history of Can Nas please? I would love to hear about your grandfather and the ovens.
My grandfather’s name was Josep Canaves. Unfortunately, my grandfather died when I was 22, I was too young and dumb to value his wisdom and be curious about his past.
I have learnt some of his political career and the history of the bakery from newspaper articles. Originally the building was a hostel run by my great grandparents. My grandfather reopened it as a bakery once he returned from “exilio” due to the Spanish Civil War. I don’t remember any of it since I was very little when my grandfather retired. In fact, I only remember him as a politician, not a baker.
Fortunately, when he retired from baking it remained as a bakery for another 25 years with very few changes. After a long run in the business, the tenants decided to change jobs and close the bakery. That was pre-covid. Between then and now it re-opened for one year as a shop and three years later the space has been transformed into our comfy and quiet cafe.
We moved from wood to electricity to bake our food otherwise the café would get super hot from the ovens and it wouldn’t be possible to have customers inside and we weren’t allowed to have tables outside.
How was food important to you growing up? Did it play a part in your childhood?
My mum was constantly looking after my diet when I was a kid. I wasn’t allowed “unhealthy” food at home. Once a week I was allowed to go out with my friends and have a pizza or a hamburger. It was unusual to insist on healthy food back then but now everyone knows the importance of a healthy diet. Now that I’m an adult I value those rules, like the importance of reading and chores.
Can you share a recipe either from the cafe or that you like to make at home?
At home we liked to keep things simple. Good raw ingredients are all you need to have a good meal. And that is what the menu of the cafe represents, small and simple food options. Few ingredients, good quality and made with love. It’s interesting how love can be part of the recipe.
What did you eat yesterday, when and who with?
Since simplicity is my motto for everything (life is complicated enough), it’s the same for my daily meals. I believe in ‘menos es más’, less is more. In cooking, what matters the most is the quality for me. In the morning I enjoy a sourdough bread toasted with Mahón cheese, extra virgin olive oil, fresh orange juice and a good coffee, of course.
At lunch I prefer something light, not heavy, like a salad or sandwich – good for not falling asleep as workers don’t usually take naps after lunch during the working shift as it is commonly believed.
At night I prefer something warm like a soup or an omelette. The season defines my meals, summer is all about veggies and fruit, in winter it’s about warm soups or lentils with chorizo.
Food is one of my hobbies. I love hanging out with friends for a BBQ, or having a night out with my husband in a nice restaurant or to travel to discover new cuisines.
You can find Cafe Can Nas in Plaza Vella in Pollensa, opposite the library.
Check out the Facebook page here.
Lucy Hawkins is a writer and artist who lives in Mallorca with her husband and two young daughters. She studied Journalism at the University of the Arts in London and worked at Cosmopolitan Magazine and The London Paper in the UK as well as newspapers and magazines around the world. Her original artwork, prints and homewares are sold in stores across Australia and her children’s book, The Salvager’s Quest, is available through online book retailers worldwide.
