AgroaldeaCURRENTLY THE FACTORY HAS 45 SUPPLIERS WHO CONTRIBUTED LAST JULY 165.846 LITERS OF MILK.
A year and a few months ago a new journey began for the COALDEA cheese factory. Despite the difficulties and inconveniences, sixteen months later, The new team has managed to regain prestige and consolidate the brand.
If something has characterized COALDEA's trajectory this year, We could affirm that it has been the commitment to new formats and the expansion of the range of cheeses they produce in their factory in La Aldea..
Among them, the traditional semi-cured cheese stands out., paprika and natural, in wedge format 250 GRS. and 500 GRS. and pieces of one kilo and 3,5 kilos. The introduction of the goat cheese bar into the hospitality industry has had excellent acceptance, as well as fresh cheese in tubs 400 GRS. in two types: pressed and “burgos”.
The President of the Cooperative of Dairy and Livestock Producers of Gran Canaria, COALDEA, Claudio Quintana, has carried out an assessment of the first year of the factory, after leasing the facilities.
Quintana has acknowledged to Agroaldea that this period has not been free of difficulties derived from the state of the facilities and machinery.. However, In this time they have recovered the market share and prestige of the brand.
Regarding market expansion, Quintana said he had gone from the initial six points of sale, to the current one hundred and eight on the islands of Lanzarote, Tenerife and Gran Canaria, among which are the Mercadona chains, Makro, Eroski, Alcampo, Hiperdino and El Corte Inglés, among others.
The key to success lies in the quality of the raw material, milk, that supply 26 ranchers from La Aldea and 19 from other towns in Gran Canaria. The exhaustive and rigorous control carried out on the milk is the guarantee of product excellence., Quintana emphasizes.
The last statistics recorded from last July, becomes a total of 165.846 liters of processed milk, that have been transformed into 24.362 kilos of cheese, of which the hotel and restaurant sector has consumed a thousand kilos a week.
COALDEA production and logistics has eight workers who are in charge of production, maturation and packaging in factory, as well as distribution to warehouses and shelves. For this they have a fleet of four delivery vehicles..
Last December, COALDEA acquired goats from 350 heads to which they have incorporated 290 heads more last August. Quintana explains this action due to the requirements of the regulations that “obliges” to have their own livestock to coin on the product label “artisan cheese”.
In this line, Claudio Quintana announced that efforts are being made to introduce a new format of artisan cheese, type “gourmet”, in the German market where there is a great demand for Canarian cheese.
COALDEA also provides its farmers with the feed that their livestock needs at a cost “quite reasonable”, according to Quintana.: “We sell a few a week 25.000 kilos of feed and forage at the price purchased in the capital”.
Currently the factory is producing some 1.500 kilos of cheese per day in all ranges and has the ripening chambers 72.000 kilos to meet the demand of the coming months, in which cattle reduce the amount of milk.
COALDEA's prospects are aimed at maintaining demand and expanding the market with new bets. However, Quintana has regretted not having been able to start the production of goat milk yogurt due to the necessary investment.
In this sense, The president of COALDEA has explained that the actions that have been carried out in repairs, changes and improvements in the production plant have prevented the acquisition of the necessary machinery for yogurt, fact that they do not rule out if the numbers and accounts allow it.