15 years committed to the Fira d’Andorra la Vella!
I bring extra organic olive oil from Lúcar, a town in Almeria. Made in organic mills, we try to keep that old flavor of our grandparents.
Lúcar is 800 kilometers away!
It must be one of the most distant products of the Fair. I’ve been wearing it since I took over the family business in 2011, as a tribute to the country that welcomed us. It was the fifties. post war In Andalusia life was complicated. The grandfather’s brother, Pepe Mesas, arrived at Pas de la Casa and took charge of the Envalira shelter. He unknowingly caused the calling effect.
And so his grandfather arrived.
Serafín Mesas. When Pepe prospered he went down to the center of the Pas and the grandfather took the vacancy. He spent 9 years in the shelter.
Did he tell you anecdotes?
They did relief work for French families who were stuck in the snow. Many times in the middle of the morning!
Has this relationship between Lúcar and Pas been maintained?
Think that in the 70s, 80s and 90s there were around 300 people from Lúcar and 30 related businesses. Andorra has made official visits to Lúcar, such as the one in 2001 or the one in 2010, where the head of government, Jaume Bartumeu, went. There is even a street in Lúcar called Pas de la Casa.
He says he took over the family business in 2011.
I did economics and worked in banking, I was touched by all the crises, like the one in 2008. Fatigue, stress, in the end what you’re looking for is something satisfying for the soul and a simpler life. I realized that we had a quality product that we could professionalize.
And he did.
We have a farm with 34,000 trees, arbequina and picual olive trees, and we produce around 70,000 liters a year. With my brand, Finca de las Olivicas, I sell between 5,000 and 10,000 liters, and I always reserve 2,000 liters for the fair. It is my personal tribute to all those who came here seeking a better future and to the country that welcomed them.
And for the future?
Unfortunately, we are in the hands of companies that only seek speculation and profit, and we farmers suffer, but I trust that we offer a quality product.
Do you regret the decision?
Working in the agricultural sector may not be fashionable, but it gives me peace of mind. Nothing better than the feeling of making a product that makes people happy. Who doesn’t love toast with oil? Small things that bring me more than a financial product.
