Star Duo: Black Flame’s Heidi & Sam

ANYONE who lives in the Pedreguer area will know Black Flame, the hugely popular restaurant and carvery owned and run by Heidi Jungreuthmayer and wife Sam Lewins. But what makes the pair so successful? And what advice would they give to anyone else opening a business? Here, the Euro Weekly News finds out more about the women behind the success.

Starting out working at her father’s own carvery, Monroes in Moraira, 30 years ago, Heidi knew she loved hospitality. This hugely driven woman was never going to be content to simply work in the family business however, and instead used her knowledge and experience to set about setting up her own business empire.

After buying the Pedreguer site around 15 years ago, it was when Heidi met her now wife Sam, also with a huge background in hospitality, that the pair really came into their own. They became a powerful team that would rebrand entirely and set about to create their vision for exactly how a great restau rant should operate.

It is this strong partnership and the couple’s constant drive for improvement and growth that has resulted in one of the Costa Blanca’s best-known (and loved) restaurants. And these qualities also mean the pair never stop innovating.

Already offering a huge vari ety of British classics from steak and ale pie to fish and chips, and BBQ food like juicy rack of ribs and classic burg ers, once Heidi and Sam no ticed that many of the restau rants in Spain lack a substantial choice of vegetables, they knew it was time to innovate again; this time with their famous carvery.

The result is Flame’s all new and improved carvery dinner which gives diners a choice of crispy roast potatoes and homemade Yorkshire puddings - all with unlimited vegetables.

The Euro Weekly News asked the pair about how they maintain this passion for constant improvement. Heidi told us: er, we like to think up new ideas and try them out.”

But has it always all been plain sailing for the successful businesswomen? Heidi tells the EWN mistakes are part of the process and that she and

Sam are no different.

“Everyone makes mistakes along the way and we are no different, but there’s nothing that hasn’t been easily rectified. We believe everyone has to make their own mistakes with their business, and each profession and location is different.”

And with so much experience behind them, what advice do they have for aspiring business owners?

“The benefits of owning a business are making money and choosing your own hours, but you also have the responsibility to deal with everything when things are bad.

“So I would say to think about it carefully before you start a business and be prepared to work hard, because you get what you work for,” says Heidi.

Heidi and Sam welcome you to Black Flame to try their renowned English carvery and variety of a la carte dishes.