I've spent these days at the Alimentaria trade fair in Barcelona and return with a feeling that's hard to ignore: the Spanish gourmet sector is more alive than ever… but we still don't play as a team. And that, in the current context, is as exciting as it is worrying.
Because yes, something's clear. The world is watching us. I've seen it with my own eyes. Asian importers — tireless, persistent, sometimes even overwhelming — are showing real interest in our companies. Europeans are increasingly receptive. North Americans and Latin Americans are beginning to understand that in Spain there is not only tradition, but also contemporary excellence. Spain is in vogue. Our products attract interest. And internationalization is no longer an option, it's a necessity. But here comes the uncomfortable reflection.
More and more of us want to expand abroad, but each does it in their own way. Without a common strategy, without a shared narrative, without a country-wide vision that unites us. We continue to operate like islands: brilliant companies, yes, but isolated. Exceptional products, but without a collective effort that would multiply their value. And that weakens everything.
Because, to be honest, the true “Made in Spain” does not yet exist as a solid concept in the mind of the international consumer. We haven't built that umbrella that should protect us, propel us, and position us. That seal that, when seen, automatically conveys quality, authenticity, and trust. Today, what an importer sees when walking through a trade fair is something else. What they perceive is fragmentation.
A clear example is olive oil. We are the world's leading producer. No question. But when you walk among the stands, you don't feel that leadership. You see many brands, yes, but you don't see a common story. There is no narrative. There is no collective strength. There is no sense of dominance. It looks more like a bazaar.
And that's a missed opportunity. Because when you don't build a collective narrative, you reduce the individual impact of each brand. You limit your ability to influence. And, above all, you give up something key in international markets: the spillover effect. In this context, I've been reflecting for some time on what, to me, should be the path. I sum it up in a very clear image: the tunnel-boring-machine method. A tunnel-boring machine doesn't compete with the ground. It goes through it. It removes what is irrelevant and, at the same time, builds a solid, firm, protected channel. Its own channel. That's what we should do as a sector.
Create a space where our brands enter coherently, where the message is clear, and where the international customer receives an ordered, filtered, and powerful offering. No noise. No confusion. No improvisation. Because what I also saw at the fair was precisely the opposite: confusing messages, unclear positioning, spaces that do not convey who we really are. Private initiatives with grandiose names but without a solid selection criterion, like Luxury Spain or Excellence of Spain. You can't have a top-quality EVOO company like Castilla de Canena and Aneto on the same list — I'm sorry, that's inconsistent. Public spaces that don't entice, that don't move you, that tell you nothing, like Alimentos de España used to be. “The richest country in the world” deserved a much more carefully curated area and physical support to generate better and greater foot traffic. And the most worrying: a lack of experience.
One of the moments that made me reflect the most was the olive oil competition. One hundred extraordinary entries, probably one of the best showcases in the world for our "liquid gold." And yet, the staging was cold, static, almost indifferent. Bottles lined up, no story, no people to explain, no experience that connected with the person standing in front.
Is that really the best we know how to do with one of our greatest culinary ambassadors? It's not just about displaying product. It's about moving people, educating, creating memories. About making people understand why ours is different. I imagine that same space with young chefs full of life and eager to contribute their value, cooking live, with guided tastings, with real product applications. That would generate impact. That would build value. Because here's another big truth we must accept: it's not that other countries sell better than us. It's that they have decided to sell better. They have understood that the country brand is not an institutional concept. It's a commercial tool. It's strategy. It's positioning. It's the future. Spain has everything to lead the global gourmet segment. Product, diversity, culture, history. But the market doesn't wait. And if we are not able to structure that proposal, others will occupy that mental space. Recovering it afterward will be much more difficult.
That's why, from Made in Spain Gourmet, we have a very clear vision. We don't want to be just a sales channel. We want to be a point of connection. A place where brands find coherence, where the message is consistent, where the customer understands what Spanish gourmet really is. Because the future is not individual. It's collective. It's strategic. And it's also emotional. We don't need to be more. We need to be better organized. We don't need to copy anyone. We need to believe more in what we are. And, above all, we need to build a "Made in Spain" that is worthy of our products. Because what we have is unique.
Now only one very simple thing is missing: the desire to sell it better.