At Solfrío summer sales in this line are now reaching the same level as winter ones
Potatoes and carrots instead of an endless amount of ‘e’ codes to thicken, AOVE, Sherry vinegar, sea salt from Cabo de Gata, local vegetables that are directly selected at the Almeria cooperatives and, obviously, no trace of preservatives, colourings or artificial thickeners. Solfrío’s recipes hide no secrets. Just their know-how, cosseting each product and cooking it traditionally. The company from Almeria has being doing the same thing for virtually two decades now and has managed to maintain itself and continue growing amidst the proliferation of brands opting for producing processed food to obtain greater added value. A sample of this positive evolution can be seen on the commercial balance sheet of its creams that “work very well all year round. We are managing to do away with seasonality. Summer sales are reaching the same level as winter sales,” explains the manager, Isabel Martín. On the other hand, gazpacho consumption continues to be concentrated during the summer months. “We sell some in the winter, but to a lesser extent, because national consumers associate it with the heat. In other countries its consumption is not as closely linked to this cultural concept, and as we have seen interest by companies from several different countries at the trade fairs we have attended, we are considering boosting our export area.”
Increased bio sales
Solfrío’s ecological range continues to grow, driven by the greater consumption trend in healthy products. “Apart from the leek and tomato creams, our other products are available both in conventional and in ecological versions,” Martín points out. This year the company will produce a million litres in total of Traditional Gazpacho, Fresh Gazpacho (with a lower degree of pasteurising, in PET containers), salmorejo and vegetable creams (pumpkin, courgette, tomato, leek and pulses).
In Spain, the company has around twenty distributors including supermarkets (Alcampo, Carrefour, MasyMas, Eroski, Caprabo…) and greengrocer chains. Outside Spain, they market their products in Holland, England and France, and have even reached New Caledonia (Oceania).
