Don Cala, the Iberian ham of a lifetime
With more than three decades behind them, Becerro Marcos family, with Eugenio and Morgana as generational replacement, remains at the top with the elaboration of one of the national delicacies. The curing process is one of its strengths. Now they want to expand the business to other countries and will soon bring new products to the market.
• Since 1978 different generations have been in charge of Don Cala, what can you tell us about these entrepreneurs?
Since 1978 the family has worked in Iberian ham business. My father-in-law started working in the factory and since then, he has gone through different jobs of the industry. We wanted to unite this knowledge and passion for the Iberian sector. We currently work with small factories where we know people who have worked in them for 30 or 40 years.
Our job is to make the family’s products known both in Spain and abroad. For example, in France or Belgium there is still little knowledge about Iberian or how to differentiate between one range and another. The quality that we find in these markets is not good with brands and suppliers that do not usually have a story behind the product. And that is what we want to convey, products with values and that the final consumer knows what he is buying and tasting.
• How many references do you work with in total?
We have about 30 references at the eve lof ham and sausages. We also sell material for cutting ham. We do not want to propose too many references, but to offer good references.
• Let’s talk about your ham: for someone who doesn’t know your brand, how do you define its flavor?
A big difference is that we do not follow the rule of Iberian certification. We have defined our own ranges of ham and quality: tradition, sensation, reserve and great reserve. Of course we follow similar criteria but we have defined them based not on a certificate but on the quality of each piece. Each one is unique and must meet our internal quality criteria. This differentiates us from the other more traditional brands of Iberian ham in Spain.
• At the level of flavors, what do we find?
It is a very natural product. We take great care of healing. We prefer not to market products with a very fair cure but to wait for the ideal point. For us this is an added value that we want to communicate to the client. And also the other way around: if a client ask for a very high cure for a piece, we also advise the consumer.
• Could you briefly explain the process of making ham?
We delegate the production to the family. As Don Cala we trust in the production of people who have been doing it for 40 years. We do not have our own pigs but we work with farmers who have and at the end of the year, we select some with the best properties to make our ham.
Then they go through the salting and cleaning process of each pallet and the drying time in the natural cellars. We want to highlight this point because the drying of each piece is done naturally. There is no industrial or temperature controlled process. Once curing has occurred, the product is prepared for each client.
• Regarding sausages (embutidos), which ones would you highlight for a gourmet consumer?
We clearly recommend the reserva and gran reserva pork loin (lomo), it is exceptional and very natural. The loin is a sausage little known outside of Spain but we present it as a noble piece of the pig that is kept in its natural form and is marinated with spices and salts, to give it a stronger flavor but respecting the piece.
• What is the profile of your clients?
We work mainly with gourmet shops and delicatessens present in Spain, France, Belgium and Germany. We focus on taking care of customer service, communicating the different ranges and with efficient logistics to ensure that they have the product in 3 or 4 days.
• What are your medium-long term goals?
The main challenge is to make ourselves known in new countries. Now we are also working in Greece. We want to strengthen our presence in Germany. That is why Spainery has seemed very interesting to us since it allows us to enter these countries.
Here you can find Don Cala products
