EUROPASTRY S.A.: President
Jordi Gallés is the president of Europastry S.A., a company specialized in the production and distribution of frozen bread and pastries based in San Cugat del Vallés, Catalonia. It was founded in 1986, and is currently the main company in the bakery sector at the state level, with a turnover of 400 million euros per year with a presence in more than 35 countries.
Jordi learned the trade in the family workshop between flour and yeast. Europastry was founded by Jordi's father, Pere Gallés, a baker and the son and grandson of bakers. The company was born from an idea: to find a formula for freezing bread dough that maintains all its qualities and delivers it fresh to the customer. And after many tests he found it. The bread was made in the traditional way, letting the yeast ferment, culminating in baking up to 80% and then freezing it. The client would finish cooking.
According to the data handled by the group, the annual investment in R&D exceeds 12 million euros. 20 people work in the research department.
Europastry has established itself as the leading company in the production of par-baked bread and deep-frozen pastries. Of its turnover of 360 million euros, approximately half corresponds to bread, and the rest to confectionery and too much deep-frozen that can be consumed after a 10-minute defrosting process.
Of the group's sales, 40% is marketed through traditional channels, 30% in Horeca establishments and a further 30% in large distribution, especially in supermarkets. This commitment to the frozen product has not meant giving up bread made and marketed by the traditional system. The group also sells a significant part of its production through its own establishments in the Molivell Company.
