The Sands Bistro was born back in 1988 when Karen’s mum and dad changed their “move to Spain to retire” plans to open an English food Bistro overlooking the sandy beach at Playa del Cura in Torrevieja.

Her parents had been Turnaround Publicans for most of their lives, so of course, they couldn’t resist the challenge of a new start-up in this developing holiday destination on the Costa Blanca, as it was back then in the late 80’s.

So inspired by the view of the beautiful sandy beach, these trailblazing restaurant entrepreneurs called their new project “The Sands Bistro” and got to work to establish probably the most loved English good food establishment in town.

Karen and Dave were fully on-board from the beginning and were there to reinforce the family team and just 2 years later, Karen’s mum finally got her husband to retire and Karen and Dave formerly took over the business with their dad’s blessing.

Since then, Karen and Dave have developed their own signature style and unique blend of English-inspired traditional, vegetarian and vegan cuisine which has earned their restaurant the merit of being voted TripAdvisor’s number 1 restaurant in the area.

Karen’s dad was the inspirational role model for her to find her vocation in creating amazing good mood food.

In his youth, her father was a chef at Buckingham Palace and he went on to be a top Turnabout Publican and Brewery Troubleshooter in various family-run pubs along the south coast of Great Britain.

Karen learnt her trade under his expert wing and diligent guidance, so it was natural that this father-daughter team would create a great restaurant together at some point.

So in 1988, at just 18 years of age, Karen and her soon-to-be husband, Dave, joined the family team at the newly opened Sands Bistro in Torrevieja and the rest, as they say, is history.

Today, some 35 years later, Karen is as inspired as ever to create dishes that not only taste good, but are good for your body too!

Her creativity and flair are everywhere at The Sands Bistro and her passion for going on adventures and travelling the world to find new culinary experiences, tastes and textures constantly feed her energy and dedication to give her customers at The Sands Bistro the best and most beautiful food that she can.

Over the decades, she has developed menus and great tasting dishes that encompass any and every dietary preference imaginable.

As a celiac herself, she is committed to helping other people eat well and feel well (no matter what allergies or food preferences they may have) and her kitchen cross-contamination safety protocols are second-to-none, so you know that if you are gluten-free, vegan or intolerant to any foods, Karen will make absolutely sure that her food is as pure and as safe as possible.

Dave’s compassion and caring for other people’s well-being makes him the perfect Maître D and Front of House Manager at The Sands Bistro. His natural charm and genuine rapport make his guests feel relaxed and totally at ease and nothing is too much trouble for his valued diners (many of whom having been enjoying good food at Sands Bistro for at least 30 years!).

Dave’s total love for all things “sport” is a constant inspiration for him and his commitment and dedication have led him to become a Scuba Diving Master, a Brown Belt in Karate and a highly enthusiastic and accomplished golfer (although he admits that his top game is a little erratic at the moment after suffering a catastrophic shoulder injury, as a result of a fall whilst running in a family relay race a couple of Christmas’s ago).

As such an authentically interested Host, his caring attitude makes you feel right at home and he always makes time for a great conversation about anything, especially football or his beloved team, Liverpool FC (an unwavering allegiance formed since he was just 6 years old with a serendipitous invitation to walk on the hallowed ground at Anfield) but above all, he is at his proudest when serves Karen’s wonderful food to his guests. Now that’s true loving what you do and doing what you love.

Of course, behind every exceptional woman, there stands an equally remarkable man and Dave is Karen’s soulmate, sounding board and steadfast companion on their incredible life’s journey.

Together, Dave and Karen form an unstoppable husband-and-wife team, crafting culinary wonders and creating a dining experience that’s truly extraordinary, and very, very good for your body too!