Since 1840, preparing the best quince paste
History
Membrillo El Quijote S.A. was born in the middle of 1840 when Rafael Rivas Pérez opened a confectionery in Puente Genil (Córdoba) and specialized in making quince paste. Currently, it has more than 26,000 square meters which, together with its sixty workers, make it produce more than 10,000 tons a year.
Starting in the 1960s, his successor, Miguel Chacón Rivas, began a stage of technological changes in the manufacture of this sweet, pioneering automatic vacuum heat-sealed packaging.
In 1981, the company made a strong commitment to the future, establishing it as a Limited Company and investing in the largest quince plantation in the world, with more than 80,000 trees (Agricola El Quijote SA and Membrillos Extremeños SL) and thus ensure the raw material for the production of your product.
Innovation
El Quijote has known how to adapt to the new demands of the market, producing new ranges of products. Without a doubt, that is the big difference with respect to the competition, listening to the consumer and their needs. Proof of this are the new products we have launched in recent years, including sugar-free products, products with stevia and a range of products for high-performance athletes.
Adapting to the new demands of the market through a process of deep research, we put in the hands of the client a range of products with a high fiber content, achieved through the addition of soluble dietary fiber (inulin and oligofructose), which produces a prebiotic effect. bifidus and that help intestinal transit, stimulating the growth of beneficial bacteria for the body, as well as helping the body absorb more calcium from food and strengthen bones.
This adaptation has also greatly affected the packaging that contains our products. The iconic quince paste tins have given way to the most innovative packaging to meet the different consumption needs that our customers have today.
Quality and Certifications
Membrillo El Quijote S.A. has made quality its hallmark.
In this sense, the renewal year after year of the certification in quality and food safety under the IFS standard has been achieved, which certifies the special care that is provided throughout the production process, from the entry of the fresh quince to the exit of our characteristic quince paste and other manufactured products. Thanks to the quality of the raw materials and the participation of professionals who put all their efforts into obtaining a typical product of our land.
For this, it has its own laboratory in which the critical points of the production process (organoleptic, physical, chemical and microbiological characteristics) are controlled.