Fernando Desa, Executive Chef at Goya, is one of the foremost ambassadors of Goya olive oils and olives You only have to take a look at his social media and his appearances and show-cooking demonstrations on television programs in the US, Puerto Rico and Santo Domingo to see how Goya oils have become an essential ingredient in his recipes and dishes.
Although he’s a frequent visitor to Spain, Fernando had never visited the Goya España factory in Seville So, after his appearance at Madrid Fusion on 24 January, he travelled to Seville to discover the essence of our oils, olives and capers.
Over two busy days, the chef became familiar with our “2 in 1 plant” for the production of olive oil and olives. In the company of the Managing Director of Goya España, Antonio Carrasco; Exports Manager, Philippe Parouty and the Quality Manager, Antonio Martín,, Fernando had the opportunity for a close look at the processes our table olives undergo from the time they are received at the plant to packaging. As our Quality Manager states, “We have applied important technological advances in machinery in each and every one of our production processes. These advances, together with the specialization of our operating staff, allow us to offer quality olives with a unique flavor.” Fernando also visited la Mezquita (the unit with tanks for the cooking and dressing of olives), the patio with the fermentation tanks, the rooms for classification and preparation of the olives, enjoying a tutorial from one our stuffing machine operators, before reaching the packaging point.
After the olives, Fernando also discovered the Goya olive oils cellar, where the hustle and bustle of the factory floor gives way to the silence of the cellar and the large tanks storing each of our Goya olive oils. “We have the best raw materials from the olive groves of Andalusia. That’s why we preserve the quality our olives, especially in our Unico and Organics products, our jewels in the crown, ensuring no air, light or heat can affect the oil before it is packaged,” explains Antonio Martín.
Expert taster
Fernando finished his visit to the Goya factory with a double olive oil tasting session hosted by our Quality Manager. “It’s time to forget everything and enjoy the unique experience of discovering the aromas and nuances of our oils,” offered Antonio Martín by way of introduction.
In the first tasting session, Fernando showed his excellent palate, distinguishing perfectly the notes of green and mature fruit, while in the second, an advanced session, he prepared his own coupage, just like the olive oil maestros, with prominent notes of freshly cut green grass and green tomato notes from our GOYA® Robusto Extra Virgin Olive Oil.
After his visit to Goya Spain, Fernando returned to Madrid to attend to some other professional commitments before returning to New Jersey. Pleased with this experience, the Goya Executive Chef said he’d love to come back to Seville next autumn for the harvesting of our olives for oil and to complete his training.
Thanks for your visit, Fernando! We look forward to welcoming you back!
