Vanessa Humbert

Vanessa originally hails from Mahón, the capital of the island of Menorca, one of the main islands in the archipelago of islands known at the Balearic Islands, which lie in the Mediterranean Sea off the eastern coast of Spain.  The whole chain of islands is a popular tourist destination and the populations swells each summer, and then dwindles during the winter when only the locals remain. Vanessa clearly recalls the sadness she experienced each September when “everyone left”.

One of Vanessa’s favourite childhood memories is of one summer holiday at the family holiday house close to the beach, with their uncle on the roof of the house throwing buckets of water to douse the children frolicking below. By all accounts she had a great start to her childhood as the middle child of 3 siblings. Vanessa remembers with great fondness the freedom she had as a child, that unfortunately isn’t available to children today, given the dangers of the modern world.

Vanessa’s parents separated and divorced when she was 12 years old, and Vanessa is the first to admit that she wasn’t particularly nice to her mother’s new partner. She became the black sheep of the family and caused her mother considerable trouble and strife. Indeed, it took Vanessa another 17 years to truly understand and appreciate the deep affection her step-father has for her and the special place she has in his heart, with exactly the same space he has for his biological daughter.  But the damage to their relationship ran deep for quite a while, and to this day, Vanessa refers to him by his given name, and calls him her step-father, as her father is still a presence in her life.

Vanessa’s path to becoming a notable restaurateur in Hua Hin has been quite circuitous. She attended a Scientific High School but states she didn’t excel in anything other than sporting activities.  She originally had aspirations of becoming a doctor but the dream was not matched by her grades.  After taking a short holiday at the end of her final school year, Vanessa announced to her mother that she was going to pursue a career in the arts as a painter and designer, although she readily admits a lack of talent.  Vanessa’s mother’s response clearly showed she didn’t see a viable career for Vanessa there either, as she handed Vanessa a brush and set her to painting walls, then doors and windows, first of their house, then her grandmother’s house too.  Quite a sobering lesson for Vanessa, who promptly abandoned her stated ambition of becoming a painter.

Vanessa had a variety of jobs in the photography field that didn’t really inspire or fulfil her.  By the time she was 30 years of age, she realised that she needed to live in a tropical environment, so that led to her move to Thailand. Her initial job was managing 3 Italasia branches from her base in Koh Samui, a job where Vanessa was able to utilise her highly developed interpersonal skills. But she was still unable to really find her passion in the job, and after a few years she decided to quit to find out if the excitement and bright lights of Bangkok was the missing element.

Hua Hin was a single night stopover point on the move to Bangkok in March 2018, and at the time the town didn’t make a huge impression on Vanessa. Fifteen days later Vanessa was rueing her decision, and at the 3-month point, she changed jobs again, and then again.  In all, Vanessa and the dog she had rescued in Koh Samui spent five rather unhappy months in Bangkok, feeling isolated and dissatisfied.

Vanessa’s eventual transition to life in Hua Hin was smoothed by a chance encounter at a social event at the Austrian Embassy where she had been invited by the Spanish Ambassador to Thailand.  She was seated next to two ladies, both well-known local identities. This interaction was the beginning of a lasting friendship for Vanessa, as Maud Ruijs took Vanessa under her wing, and refused to allow her to remain isolated and alone in her new community.

Of all the things Hua Hin has to commend it, it is the people to whom Vanessa is the most attached.  Whether they are expats or Thai, Vanessa finds the people are much more friendly that she experienced elsewhere in Thailand, where the people were more focused on the daily grind of work and less able to raise a smile or offer a friendly word. Vanessa remains less impressed by the under-utilisation of the local airport and would love to see it cater for medium-haul flights within Thailand and throughout Asia.

For Vanessa and her Italian partner Roberto, the establishment of their Spanish restaurant, Little Spain, was a Covid project.  The pair was prepared to start small, on a shoe-string budget, but with the vision of complete authenticity, from the get-go. It is a considerable source of pride for Vanessa that she has managed to nurture her dream into reality, maintaining its integrity all the way.  She and Roberto faced a considerable number of naysayers who were sure the dream was set for failure as the required price-point would not meet the expectations of local diners.

However, the pair has proved them wrong.  Vanessa’s deep understanding of the ingredients she sources and her ability to build strong, authentic flavour profiles, when coupled with Roberto’s savvy management of social media and the marketing aspects of the business, has led to staged and sustainable growth for the business.  Indeed, the pandemic years were quite a positive time for the fledgling business, and Vanessa is justifiably proud she has been able to showcase her country’s cuisine. The food at Little Spain is so authentic that the restaurant received special accreditation from the Spanish Embassy earlier this year.  High praise indeed.

This might come as a surprise, but Vanessa is not especially fond of cooking, nor, if you believe it, especially good at it.  Her strength lies in designing the menu to highlight the very best of Spanish flavours and authentic ingredients. In addition, she is a master at managing both the kitchen and the service staff, ensuring the timely provision of food to her customers.  Vanessa’s favourite dish is actually French fries topped with fried egg, which is also a surprise, especially as Vanessa has developed an allergy to egg-yolks.  But she will put up with irritation of a blocked nose to indulge as often as she can.

Vanessa has all the appearance of a very strong woman.  She readily socialises, a glass of good red wine in her hand. She is well-grounded and lives in the present: neither a dreamer, nor overly ambitious, though she hinted to me on interview that the idea of having further sister restaurants in other Thai locations at some time in the future has a certain appeal.  The thought of retirement has not really crossed Vanessa’s mind.  She lives by the motto that if you want something you must go for it, and be prepared to fight for it, if necessary.

What many people fail to appreciate is that Vanessa has a more vulnerable side. Her deep affection for her rescue dogs stems from the fact that they give her honest, unconditional love, with no judgement attached. While Vanessa is resilient, that doesn’t mean that she isn’t able to be hurt.  She is very empathetic, and a great listener when friends need a confidante. Vanessa admits she has a “big character”, and her love of directness and her forthright opinions shouldn’t be mistaken for brashness or over-confidence.  Rather, her Latinate passion could be interpreted as a safety shield for her actual shyness. Vanessa would love to shun the limelight more often than she is able to, and in a personal capacity, she limits her use of social media for this very reason. Luckily, Vanessa has Roberto to always help support her self-esteem if it suffers a blow.

Vanessa has travelled paths she never expected to.  She has allowed herself to go with the flow, and has dealt with challenges as they have arisen. She lives in the now, and is highly appreciative of the strong relationships she has built with her family and inner-circle of close friends. In her business life, Vanessa is still taking a cautious approach, but in her personal life, she remains unafraid, sure of her own power to handle pretty much every situation.

Postscript - Since I spent time with Vanessa for this interview some months ago now, she and Roberto have opened their second restaurant in Hua Hin, to much acclaim. Gregal is modern Mediterranean dining at its best, the restaurant occupying a prime position right on Hua Hin beach, adjacent to the iconic Royal Princess condominium which is shaped like an ocean vessel. The restaurant, named after a strong, cool northeasterly wind in the Western Mediterranean, has a crisp and clean white décor which suits its beach location perfectly.  Gregal had its soft opening from midday on 27th September 2023, and its name has not left local lips since.