Israel Romero / Tuesday, May 14, 2024 / Categories: Spanish Brands The New Generations of Spanish Gourmet Brands: Dreamers and Innovators in Their Thirties Spanish Gourmet Brands Who says Spanish entrepreneurs pack up and fly off to other latitudes and forget their country? At least we share our dream with a very strong wave of young people who are clear that the Made in Spain Gourmet brand can become a global gastronomic benchmark. Of course it can. Angel Martínez of Isbilya Bernardo Hernández of Ibéricos BEHER Cristóbal Fernández of Conservas La Curiosa The Made in Spain Gourmet family is characterized, as I always remind you, by people who share values and principles that make us feel very comfortable together. And the Spanish Gourmet 2.0 could be pictured as a torrent of talent and energy aiming to succeed from Spain to the world. I must admit that when we started our project around 2019, I didn’t expect to find a rather young, carefree profile with clear entrepreneurial leadership skills. We were mistaken, because like wild mushrooms after rain, they are popping up everywhere. And how glad we are about that, doubly so, because they bring products and visions very similar to ours, and above all because they are the future of our country. Something fundamental if we want to be gastronomic references worldwide. The profiles of these entrepreneurs are diverse, and not all come from the sector — some have retrained or leveraged experiences in other industries to project them into gourmet. But they have one thing in common: the business will come from internationalization. Undoubtedly. Because the quality of our products, where it can be appreciated at the price it deserves, is unfortunately not in Spain — although I hope to see changes in that in the future. They value their country because they all have international experience, have discovered other cultures, and have found the reasons to return, but this time seducing with their own weapons (their products). That way it’s much easier to understand the world, and to see that our country has so much to offer; leaving isn’t, for some, the best choice to keep growing. [caption id="attachment_29121" align="aligncenter" width="800"] The new generations of Spanish gourmet brands: dreamer, innovative thirty-somethingsAngel Martínez of Isbilya[/caption] Angel Martínez of Isbilya He is the CEO together with his sister Teresa Martínez of Aceites Isbilya. A very interesting company, based in A Coruña (Galicia), but their business is in Umbrete (Seville), where their olive trees are located, all on their own land. There they produce truly spectacular extra virgin olive oils. From the varieties sikitita (a hybrid between picual and arbequina), koroneiki and arbosana for their coupage with arbequina. Ángel is disruptive, nonconformist, and only settles for the best. That is why, after living in California and seeing how olive oil was produced there, he knew he had to do something to return and conquer that market… and any market that comes his way. They are very clear that the four Made in Spain Gourmet requirements are fundamental: excellent product, packaging excellence, emotional storytelling, and people behind the brand with values. They exceed on all of them. As a biologist, he does not view the countryside as a traditional sector. They also do not carry out production processes the way most do, and they do not treat employment as merely seasonal. They do not withhold information from those who trust them. Because Isbilya sells quality — in fact, very high quality — because they are honest about what they do and believe. With those credentials, how could they not be part of the Made in Spain Gourmet Club? Teresa and Ángel Martínez are the founders of Isbilya. Every time they think about the time they've invested in training (biology and chemistry), all the sleepless nights spent creating products that move people, all the efforts to rejuvenate the EVOO sector, and all the trips to promote their brand… every time they think about it, they know it has been worth it. [caption id="attachment_29122" align="aligncenter" width="800"] Bernardo Hernández of Ibéricos BEHER[/caption] Bernardo Hernández of Ibéricos BEHER One of the most relevant nearly-century-old ibérico companies in Spain. Present in more than 50 countries across 4 continents. A guarantee that their will to go further aligns with our philosophy — through people and shared effort. Bernardo Hernández Jr. is the fourth generation of a family in which each generation has taken the next step it “was meant” to take. Because at BEHER they remain faithfully committed to the quality and authenticity of all their 100% acorn-fed ibérico products, with Protected Designation of Origin (DOP) Guijuelo. The digital environment, innovation and new technologies force them to keep working hard to adapt to the new times and to market needs and tastes. That is the responsibility Bernardo assumes with pride and respect. He is not yet thirty, and he has set out to conquer North America from the heart of the Big Apple, New York. Because if you are going to conquer a market, you do it from within it, and that way you make fewer mistakes. Very quickly we noticed synergies between both companies, and we are already developing commercial and relationship-marketing actions in the U.S. market. His vision is striking because, despite his youth, he understands that leadership is not achieved by imposing ideas, but by listening to your team and then making the best decisions. And that is not as common as we would like among Spanish gourmet companies, at least in their internationalization departments. I am convinced that BEHER’s image and prestige will improve in the coming times with the innovations they are bringing to the U.S. market that will allow them to find their space. One example is their bet on a 100% ibérico organic line, which in that market has enormous potential. Cristóbal Fernández of Conservas La Curiosa What a pleasure it is to find entrepreneurs like Cristóbal Fernández. Don’t expect from him a romantic three-generation lineage dedicated to the world of preserves. He’s crazy about canned goods, but of course it runs in the family. His mother worked in a cannery for more than 15 years, so you can imagine there was always a tin on the family table. After finishing his studies he became curious about the world of canning and even had the opportunity to work in a factory for a year. When passion for something meets an entrepreneurial streak, there’s no turning back. As I said before, he’s young, and he’s full of energy — very eager to do things well, to bring freshness to a sector that’s too conservative, to innovate and start anew. Innovation in gastronomy is very important to attract new generations. His mission is to offer a preserve of the highest quality to suit the most exquisite palates. A staunch defender of the quality of Galician preserves, he only produces in the best factories around the Ría de Arousa. He feels a deep passion for the craft, for the people of the sea, for our estuaries and for our tradition. At La Curiosa they only produce high-quality preserves from the best shellfish and fish caught in season at their peak. The product is made in an artisanal way. Made in Spain Gourmet and La Curiosa will develop new ways of perceiving gourmet preserves in the North American market, where they are already beginning to gain recognition in markets such as New York. Thus, we see that our country has a bright future because they understand that you must conquer international markets to be recognized. BEHER: Iberian hams from Guijuelo with nearly 100 years of history Mediterranean canned tuna, all in red... Wild! Print 6 Rate this article: No rating Please login or register to post comments.