A Liverpool cafe is handing out free sweet treats today but you will need to be quick.
BoBo, the city’s only authentic Iberian wine café on Castle Street, is celebrating Portugal’s most important national holiday today (Monday, April 25) with its free giveaway. Freedom Day (Dia da Liberdade) commemorates the “Carnation Revolution”, a popular demonstration in 1974 marking the overthrow of the ‘Estado Novo’ dictatorship, which was one of the longest-surviving authoritarian regimes in Europe in the 20th century.
To mark Portugal's national holiday, Bobo, is offering 100 free Pasteis de Nata – the country’s famous egg custard tart pastry - until they are all gone.
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Brad Mullen-Thompson, BoBo’s manager, said: “Pastel de Nata is one of Portugal’s most popular national dishes and that’s not surprising because they are delicious. It has actually been described as one of the 50 best things to eat in the world and the Portuguese voted the pastry as one of their ‘Seven Wonders of Gastronomy’.
“For us, it’s a simple way to commemorate this important national day coup that remembers the transition back to democracy 48 years ago in this beautiful country which has helped inspire our offer at BoBo, as well as to announce our new Monday opening, meaning we are now open seven days a week.”
The Carnation Revolution is said to have received its name from restaurant worker Celeste Caeiro’s actions. Celeste, who is now 88 years old, was working in a self-service restaurant in Lisbon called ‘Sir’, which opened on 25 April 1973. For its first anniversary the owners planned to give out flowers to all its customers, but this had to be cancelled because of the coup.
Celeste was said to have been sent home and told she could take the wasted red and white flowers with her. She is said to have offered the flowers to the tanks involved with the coup and they placed the flowers in the muzzle of their guns. The idea was copied and flower sellers donated more flowers to decorate the mutinous soldiers and their weapons.
BoBo on Liverpool's Castle Street is inspired by the street side culture of Portugal and Spain. The Iberian wine bar serves tapas dishes and a range of cheeses - and is dog friendly, too.
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