An Interview with Serena Cook, Founder of Ibiza Concierge Company Deliciously Sorted

Surrounded by alluring Mediterranean waters and year-round good weather, much of island life inevitably revolves around the simple pleasures of the beach and sea. But to truly immerse yourself in the full Ibiza experience, it can often be wise to call upon some local expertise.

And when it comes to inside knowledge, no-one knows Ibiza better than Deliciously Sorted. The concierge company has operated on the island since 2002 and has developed an unrivalled network of contacts that allows them to fulfil almost any request at any time.

Indeed, as we were to discover when we sat down with Deliciously Sorted founder Serena Cook, it took a demand for caged tigers and dancing bears before they had to eventually say ‘no’.

Superyachts.com: Can you start by giving us some background to Deliciously Sorted in terms of how the company began?
Serene Cook: I first came to Ibiza during my University days. I was working as a chef in some of the houses that my good friend Jade Jagger was renting out. I soon found that I was doing more than just cooking; arranging car hire, babysitters, booking restaurants, tables in Pacha and boat charters. This is how the company´s unique name was born from my background in food and organising people´s holidays: Deliciously Sorted.

SY: Can you run us through the services you provide?
SC: We can do anything and everything. I have each member of my staff dedicated to one specific service, such as hotel bookings, villa hire, boat charters, personal chefs, babysitters, beauticians, VIPs and events. We also have an office in Mallorca and satellite offices in Formentera and Menorca.

SY: Would you say you have a ‘typical’ client, and if so, how would you describe them?
SC: The most fantastic thing is our clients always come back. They might have graduated to becoming parents and nowadays have one night in the clubs compared to four nights in previous years.

Yet as Ibiza gets more and more popular we also have a lot of clients who are coming here for the first time and are unsure of where to go for dinner, or which clubs are good on a Friday night, and they want us to arrange the full Ibiza experience for them. Generally our clients are over 30 and affluent, simply because Ibiza has got rather expensive lately.

SY: What has been the most extravagant/outlandish request you have received from a client?
SC: Caged tigers and dancing bears for a Cirque du Freak party - we obviously said no!

SY: How do you manage to stand out from the crowd amongst other concierge companies?
SC: We have been in Ibiza for over 12 years now, which means that we have long-standing relationships with all of our suppliers and clients. This means that we can get access where others can’t, but also we provide the client with peace of mind. There are so many one man band operators with a mobile phone whereas we are a big office with a company bank account and insurance policies in place.

SY: How has Ibiza changed over the years you have been operating here?
SC: It has definitely developed a lot. Services and suppliers have increased in numbers - there is a new concierge business on every corner! But also in standard which is great from an operational point of view and something that also attracts more discerning clients.
 
I do worry about the natural beauty of the island, and keeping the North protected from the madness of the beach clubs spreading throughout the island.
 
SY: Are there any plans to roll out your concierge service beyond the Spanish islands?
SC: I am too old! I like my downtime in the winter to travel and relax ,but if someone offered me a lucrative franchise deal, of course I would be tempted…