Dutch and Belgian residents of the Algarve recently converged on the Hotel Montechoro, Albufeira, for the annual maty party, where they feasted on herring and danced the afternoon away to two-piece band Music 2 You.
The maty party is a Dutch tradition, usually held in June after the first young herring of the year is caught. Nearly 900 herring were shipped in from Holland especially for the event. Speaking to The Resident, Hub Hendriks, (pictured here), President of the NCA (Nederlandstalige Club Algarve), explained that despite having arrived at the hotel at 9am, the kitchen staff were still hard at work well into the afternoon, skinning, filleting and de-heading the herring to meet demand from partygoers. “It is not an easy process to prepare these small fish, but everybody is really enjoying them. The event is proving to be a brilliant success,” he commented. There were hot dog reserves for those who could not quite stomach the raw fish and a well stocked bar, which remained busy throughout the afternoon. If you would like any more information about the NCA, contact Hub Hendriks on 289 572 385 or email [email protected].
