History
Conservas Ortiz dates back to the 19th century when, after the death of Lázaro Nafarrate in 1850, his daughter Higinia Nafarrate married Antonio López de Aréchaga, leading to the birth of a child called Petra López de Aréchaga Nafarrate.
Years later in 1891, Bernando Ortiz de Zárate, the founder of Conservas Ortiz, travelled from Álava to Ondarroa to start a new business. He married Petra López de Aréchaga Nafarrate and they had a child called José.
After the death of Bernardo, his wife Petra took over the running of the business
The company then became known as “Viuda de Ortiz e Hijo” (Widow of Ortiz and Son).
Bernardo learnt the trade from his brother-in-law and started work in the fish canning industry. He bought Anchovies and White Tuna on the dock from the inshore fishermen and, taking advantage of the possibilities offered by marinating and wooden casks, sold the fish throughout northern Castile the following day.
In order to make the company as efficient as possible, he invented and created a system of itinerant factories that only operated during the fishing season.
Viuda de Ortiz e Hijo
Bernardo died when José was still a child and Petra ran the company for the next few years, when it became known as “Viuda de Ortiz” and then “Viuda de Ortiz e Hijo”.
Canning techniques gradually improved and Conservas Ortiz opened five fixed plants along the coast of the Basque Country (Ondarroa, Lekeitio and Zumaia), Cantabria (San Vicente de la Barquera) and Asturias (Candás).
The itinerant factories only worked during the inshore fishing season.
The aim was to make the company as efficient as possible.
Anchovies were the star products
In the early 20th century, Conservas Ortiz began to spread its wings overseas. The canning companies started operations in Italy and those countries with Italian immigrants, such as the U.S.A., Canada, Australia, New Zealand and South Africa.
Anchovies were the most popular products. The Italians brought their salting technique ( "alla vera carne") to the Cantabrian coast, as they knew that it was there that they could find the best fish. This meant that they could prepare the semipreserved products and send them to Italy.
In 1942, José Ortiz and his son José Antonio Ortiz created the limited company that became Conservas Ortiz S.A. in 1956. .
The fifth generation of the family is currently managing the company.
The present
Conservas Ortiz respects tradition, it respects the inshore fishing season and its tides and only purchases individually line-caught White Tuna. This means that our quality is based on the respect we show for the fish we use.
The preparation of our top-class products is reflected in the care we take over their unchanging presentation.