A Barman's Tales from the Canary Islands: Exploring the Ketchup-Salsa Divide

val: I felt like I was getting to know the regular customers. Laughing out loud at some of the things they get up to and feeling the pain at all their hard work. Enjoyed every moment. Looking forward to starting the next book.

United Kingdom on Oct 04, 2023

Karen Crane: What an entertaining two weeks reading this. Up there like a full series of Only Fools and Horses to make you laugh. Bravo Mr. Cawley. If you’ve never taken the time to read this, better late than never.

Spain on Aug 29, 2023

Parks: I like that it is real life experienced by ex-pats. This shows what it can be really like to move to a new country. Joe Cawley and girlfriend Joy went to Tenerife to run a bar without any experience in bar work or the language.

United Kingdom on Jul 13, 2023

Client Oliver: Joe is a very talented author. He has funny bones and is very witty. This trait shines through in every page of his books. I've read all 3 of the Ketchup series. Loved reading each one. I learnt quite a lot about Tenerife lifestyle, the people and places.
I really enjoy reading and often check reviews first. In this case I didn't buy because of the reviews, I bought them because I'd met Joe and just knew these were going to be good. If you enjoy a bit of light hearted, intelligent, funny and well written humour. Don't hesitate to buy these.

United Kingdom on May 02, 2023

Jez Bee 🐝: Bought this book as the title looked like it could be a bit of a fun read. It was and more so. Got totally involved in Joe and the crews antics on moving, living and working abroad, the hassles in taking over the business and everything involved.
Feta 6 ⭐️ read. Purchased the next in the saga straight after finishing this one and was delighted when the 3rd instalment ’Less ketchup than Salsa’ came out.

United Kingdom on May 02, 2023

B. Crosby: A great migrant memoir about a Brit opening and running a bar in Tenerife, the Canary Islands with his girlfriend, brother, and his brother's wife. Lots of good humor, struggles, characters, and hijinks. But, something just doesn't add up here. The author seems a bit slow in figuring out things, namely, his girlfriend Joy. It seems like it was Joy's treatment of his brother's wife that pushed her over the brink. Joy also questions a couple who helped them in the later hours and closing the bar. Joy basically accuses them of stealing money. Joy seems very money-obsessed. Then there's the incident with the Czech girl's boyfriend who refuses to leave a rental that Joy set up for his girlfriend, but it's inexplicable why Joy never asked the rental's owner for permission. Although, it was only for a couple weeks, Joy should have told the owner. Sounds like she was just going to pocket the money. In fact, when she's checking the till in the morning, who's to say, Joy's not the one skimming off the top. It's often the accuser that winds up being guilty, trying to blame others for their own crimes. I'm reading the next book, and Joy comes across even worse. I won't tell you how, but it's...

United States on Feb 24, 2021

Kenya Starflight: Most of the time, the writing in a book is what makes or breaks it for me -- if a book is poorly written, I'm liable to put it down for good. Sometimes, though, a funny, creative, or just plain entertaining story will make me stick with it, and said story can often make up for most of the flaws in the writing. "More Ketchup Than Salsa" is a good example of this, for me -- while the writing isn't anything to write home about and it can drag in places, it's a surprisingly entertaining and even downright hilarious account of a group of British expats trying to run a bar in the Canary Islands... and the colorful characters they encounter along the way.

Joe Cawley and his girlfriend, Joy, are tired of the cold and damp of their native Great Britain and their careers at the fish market... so when Joe's brother David announces he's bought a bar in Tenerife, one of the Canary Islands, they see this as their chance for a new life on sunnier shores. Not knowing a lick of Spanish or having the slightest idea on how to run a bar, they make the journey anyhow, only to find themselves in over their heads. As they struggle to clean up the cockroach-infested bar, learn how to actually cook...

United States on Jun 01, 2019

Deb G.: This was an enjoyable story about moving lock, stock and (beer) barrel to the Canary Islands. Not able to speak the language, and only knowing the bar business from the customer side, proved no deterrent to the author in light of moving to a warm, sunny vacation destination. The story started out slow and I found myself slightly irritated at the author's complacency towards work and life before their move. I'm glad I stuck with it, though. The bar business ends up being much more work than they ever imagined. The characters they meet are entertaining as are the situations they encounter. Although the reader is encouraged to follow along with further exploits in a second book, I found this book was fine as a stand-alone story. I was intrigued enough to want to know how their story continued. In fact, I actually went to Google Earth to try to find Smuggler's Bar...and I was excited when I did! For those who don't like any foul language or sex in their stories- there is a smattering of swearing and no sex scenes (they were lucky to find time to sleep!). Recommended for a fun, easy read.

United States on Jan 30, 2015