Vale do Mestre

A business of regional flavours materialised in liqueurs, jams, olive oils, herbs and spices which are the delight of those who taste them. All of this is the result of Patrocinia Casaca's will.

"I've always had the idea of working on my own account", confesses the owner of this small business which employs three people on a permanent basis, and in peak season, two more.
Patrocinia, like all our producers, has a story to tell. She was working in the fields - in the local agricultural cooperative in the Santa Casa da Misericórdia of Avis, before leaving to fulfil her dream.

In 2005 she opened a shop selling local products. But the process wasn't easy and bureaucratic problems seemed to want to prevent the business from coming to fruition.

With the help of many people, she improved and with the knowlledge of jams and liqueurs she began a new stage in her life: she started her own production facility.

Today, she produces jams in various flavours and 17 different liquores.

However, the taste for innovation and the clients' requests led Patrocinia to "discover" new products, as is the case of the "piso" for the typical Portuguese dish açorda, or the olive pastes which come in four varieties: black, green, with honey and with four peppers.

"We are always willing to innovate", says the entrepreneur and, as proof, she refers the caramelized almonds, the excellent marmalade.

The materials used for the products are mostly picked by their own hands or acquired from small farmers. Only this guarantees the desired quality.