The inn that has gone from muzzle to Wi-Fi in 135 years

TorahThe story of l'Hostal Jaumet de Torà (Solsonès) is truly chameleonic. The owners claim that, Since it was founded as a horse and carriage depot in 1890, it has had a remarkable ability to adapt to "all kinds of situations and thrive." They have endured all sorts of vicissitudes, from personal accidents, illnesses, deaths, a civil war, fires, and floods. But they have never suffered a crisis as severe as the current one, in which a severe staff shortage is jeopardizing their future like never before.

The inn's ancestors used to cook for the pig dealers who frequented the village. But it was Miquel Closa, son of Jaumet dels Bous, who started a business at the end of the 19th century that continues to thrive today. He did so thanks to a raffle prize. He used nine ounces of gold to purchase a plot of land near the only road connecting Barcelona with Andorra. It was a wise investment that bore immediate fruit.

At the beginning of the following century, that road was frequented by carriages bringing travelers to the Calaf train, about fifteen kilometers away, coming from the Lleida Pyrenees and the valleys of Andorra on their way to Barcelona. The inn saw an increase in traffic.

Miquel's heir, Jaume Closa, built the stables where both horses and travelers would stay. He charged for each bit and stake they needed. People and animals often slept together in the hayloft, the warmest part of the inn.

But his first tragedy arrived. A chance bite from a donkey severely injured Jaume's finger. Without proper treatment, his entire arm became gangrenous and ultimately amputated. This forced him to entrust everything to his wife, Montserrat, who took on the difficult task of dealing with muleteers and carters.

During the Civil War, the inn was converted into a military barracks, and once completed, the family had to start from scratch. The heir, another Jaume Closa, had died on the Republican side during their retreat to Cervera. This forced the heiress, Ramona, to take over the reins of the business, along with her husband, Pere Marimon.

In the 1960s, with the increase in road traffic (now motorized), the tourist phenomenon arrived, prompting the opening of Snack, the name by which many local godfathers still know the inn. Within a few years, they built a new kitchen, another dining room, and more rooms, until Ramona's son, Jaume Marimon, took over the establishment in 1972. This was the fourth generation of a business that continued to grow with larger rooms for banquets and conventions and a wood-fired stove always inspired by tradition. "Here we champion the chup-chup stews," argues the youngest of Jaume's family, now 73 and a three-time cancer survivor. This is a cuisine that demands calm and time, with recipes that have centuries of history, such as the "smothered pig" from La Segarra (pig's feet, cheek, and snout cooked for two hours), broad beans, cannelloni, or the famous partridges in the vinaigrette that Ramona cooked until her last days.

The challenge of continuity

Jaume is technically retired, although he still oversees "the final touches" in the kitchen, and his daughter Laia now runs a business that's adapted to the modernities of the 21st century, but not to one of its greatest adversities. She is the fifth generation, forced to reinvent itself to survive. And she faces it with uncertainty, because this is the most serious crisis of all those that the family has faced so far. The lack of qualified personnel who understand Cal Jaumet's cooking methods and the burden of regulations and administrative bureaucracy are jeopardizing 135 years of history.

While they wait to find a chef who fits their philosophy, Laia has designed a new reality for the hostel. More serene, she'll turn on the kitchen only when necessary and always be creative. Well, more likely, she'll return to her roots, because the young entrepreneur wants to recover the old stables to house both horses and motorcycles. Just two weeks ago, a group of 25 members of the Catalan Horse Riding Association organized their monthly outing in Solsonès and spent the night at the Hostal Jaumet.

Jaume Marimon already has his sights set on celebrating the business's 150th anniversary. He hopes that his grandchildren (the sixth generation) will one day take over the management of the inn, and that's why he's preparing a commemorative book to remember them. It will be a compilation of the house's recipes, accompanied by anecdotes from the most iconic guests. The book will likely feature Francesc Macià, Monsignor Tarancón, Jordi Pujol and Josep Maria Espinàs, the Roca brothers, and Nandu Jubany. "I don't know if I'll see the book finished, but at least I want to revive the memory for those who will come after us," Jaume Marimon hopes.