The new brand prizes the Martaínha variety, classified as DOP.
Europe, the United States and Canada are priority markets
Frusantos, a Portuguese company founded in 1982, is launching Saudade – Sabores do Coração, the new brand for Portuguese chestnuts, at Fruit Attraction, in Madrid. The event will happen in October the 18th at 4 pm CET at stand 10 H00C (Nuts Hub).
At the moment, more than 50% of Frusantos sales are made outside of Portugal and the aim is to reinforce exports with the creation of a distinctive brand, associated with a high-quality seasonal product. Saudade prizes the Martaínha variety, produced in Sernancelhe and in all the neighbouring municipalities that are part of the geographic region producing Soutos da Lapa DOP (Protected Designation of Origin) Chestnuts. Germany, France, Switzerland, Luxembourg, Italy, Spain, the United States and Canada are priority markets.
“Portuguese chestnuts are very well regarded on international markets and the Martaínha variety is where the difference lies. These chestnuts are sweeter, very shiny and easy to peel. There was no brand highlighting these distinctive characteristics and our goal is to introduce this high-quality seasonal product, which consumers associate with a specific time of year and that brings back fond memories. In addition to the international market, another of our priorities is to attract consumers on the national market”, said Tozé Santos, company director.
“Saudade – Sabores do Coração comes from our region, known for being located in the heart of Portugal and for having excellent products. At the same time, it is linked to the history of our company and to the family values the business is inspired by. This year, we are celebrating 35 years in business and the launch of the brand is also a way of paying homage to the founder, João da Silva Santos, who is no longer with us”, added Miguel Santos, also company director.
The internationalization project of Frusantos is co-financed by the Operational Program (Norte 2020), with the total eligible investment amount of € 425,628.33, of which € 188,851.50 from European Regional Development Fund and € 4,170.83 from European Social Fund.
The history of the brand:
The Saudade – Sabores do Coração brand was initially registered by the founder, João da Silva Santos and Rita Aquino Santos, parents of Tozé Santos and Miguel Santos (now directors), with the aim of launching their own brand, as an identifying mark of the region. The project was given a new lease of life in 2017.
The aim of launching the Saudade brand is to add value to high-quality seasonal Portuguese products. With the chestnuts, the goal is to highlight the nutritional properties and the main variety (Martaínha), characteristic of the region where the company is located. This variety is known for its flavour. The chestnuts are sweeter, very shiny and easy to peel, light brown in colour and rounded. This is a native variety, produced exclusively in the Soutos da Lapa region, with 90% of harvesting done manually.
The branding was developed by TerraProjectos, specialised consultants in the agri-food sector. The concept reinforces the distinctive nature of seasonal products, which bring back fond memories.
About Frusantos:
Based in Ferreirim, Sernancelhe, Frusantos sells and distributes agricultural products, in particular chestnuts, apples, seed and ware potatoes, onions and olive oil. It focuses on seasonal products and selected fruits, also selling cherries, watermelon and melon. With 35 years of experience, it has a versatile, specialist team that monitors the entire productive cycle of the company and the producers, to ensure quality and compliance with market standards. It has around 32 employees during the year and becomes one of the biggest employers in Sernancelhe Municipality during the chestnut harvest. In 2016, it invoiced EUR 11 million.
Press contacts:
Ana Rute Silva
+ 351 91 103 29 76
arsilva@terraprojectos.com