PORTUGAL IS IN FASHION. LISBON IS IN FASHION. THE CLASSICAL IS NOW BACK IN FASHION. AND IS THERE ANYTHING MORE CLASSICAL AND TASTY THAN A CAN OF HEALTHY FISH AT AN AFFORDABLE PRICE AND ABLE TO TRANSFORM A SIMPLE MEAL INTO A GOURMET DISH?
Considered true ambassadors of Portugal abroad, canned fish are now playing increasingly important roles in Portuguese eating habits. The start of the Portuguese canned fish industry dates back a century and a half and Portugal now exports to more than 70 countries.
New food trends and food tasting events have also brought canned fish back closer to Portuguese consumers. With a wide range of culinary options, from simples starters to main dishes, canned fish now crops up in top restaurants with the very best chefs while an equally fine choice for those wishing to serve up a successful and easy to prepare meal at home.
The tapas boom brought a new and fresh drive to the “A Loja das Conservas”, the canned fish shop, project. This shop already runs eight outlets in Europe, of which four are in Portugal, and in Asia, with this latter region acting as a privileged display for the Portuguese canned fish industry. With more than 300 product references from 19 Portuguese canned fish producers, the star still remains the sardine, despite the great attention paid to innovation and diversification with different canned fish varieties, such as plaice in olive oil, sardine in teriyaki sauce, sardine with algae or tuna with ginger. When visiting the current retail outlets –three stores in Lisbon (Rua do Arsenal, Praça das Flores and Rua da Assunção), in Oporto, on Rua Mouzinho da Silveira, on a corner in Paris and another in Vienna, in the Macau store and in the Hong Kong corner clients receive a range of options as regards this fashionable product, whether in single cans or in packs of six or twelve.
Having started out as a project backed by the ANIP – the Portuguese Association of Canned Fish Industry, the steady increase in the number of shops represents proof of the success of this business. The focus on Macau and later on Hong Kong, true gateways to the Asian market, was no less than the result of years of privileged commercial relations and exports. With an immediate impact on tourists visiting Lisbon, the capital’s store quickly became part of the Lisbon tourist shopping route. Nowadays, “we witness increasingly greater demand among the Portuguese public, particularly in December, with 95% of visits by Portuguese shoppers. Canned fish is nationally enjoying the success it has long enjoyed abroad!”, says store manager Sara Costa. ANIP is therefore designing a more innovative project designed to win over the stomachs of both Portuguese and foreigners! The creation of a restaurant in the heart of downtown Lisbon, where the highlight is a canned fish. This new venue is here to offer a truly quality Portuguese food experience at moderate prices. The store on Rua do Arsenal is also surprising with the new food corner where customers may taste some of the varieties on offer at the store.
Canned fish have gained a new profile with this project and “A Loja das Conservas” hopes to keep surprising customers both at home and abroad.
