Founded in 1982 and based on an idea that was revolutionary at the time, Casa Mendes Gonçalves sold fig vinegar, a product that was abundant in the region but did not exist on the market.
Eighteen years later, Casa Mendes Gonçalves entered the sauce market and began producing and packaging sauces for renowned companies such as Vianeza.
Later, with the opportunity to purchase the Paladin brand, it entered the sauce market for the end consumer.
Initially, Paladin only sold mustard, but with the relaunch of the brand in 2013, it was able to diversify the range of sauces that Paladin offers on the market today, thanks to the work and creativity of Casa Mendes Gonçalves.
With a wide variety of its own sauces and those for distributors, Casa Mendes Gonçalves has a Research and Development Centre that guarantees the quality and specificity of each sauce. Today, it has more than 200 sauce references.
“We are known for our tailor-made solutions. Even our competitors come to us to find solutions they need for their markets!”
– Eng. Pedro Cardoso
With around 300 employees and a turnover of €47 million in 2022, Casa Mendes Gonçalves is a national benchmark.
The innovative, high-quality products of Casa Mendes Gonçalves
One of its customers is McDonald’s. Casa Mendes Gonçalves produces the sauce for chips, among other sauces.
“McDonald’s contacted us to create some sauces. We created several options according to the customer’s needs and target audience, who then chose the one they liked best.”
– Eng. Pedro Cardoso
Unilever also contacted Casa Mendes Gonçalves to produce four items for which they did not have the production capacity.
“This partnership required improvements in the manufacturing process and took us to a higher level.”
– Eng. Pedro Cardoso
Casa Mendes Gonçalves owns three brands: Paladin, Peninsular, and Dona Pureza. The most talked-about product from the Paladin brand is Sacana AiAi, and from Peninsular it is vinegar.
The spiciness level of Sacana AiAi is very high, I stick to the extra-strong one.
– Eng. Pedro Cardoso
The rebranding of the Paladin brand in 2013 was essential for the expansion of Casa Mendes Gonçalves, which brought a more consistent value proposition.
Casa Mendes Gonçalves products are mainly exported to PALOP countries (Portuguese-speaking African countries). The products exported differ from those sold in Portugal, as Casa Mendes Gonçalves tries to cater to the culture and tastes of each country.
“We have now surpassed the 20th version of some sauces.”
– Eng. Pedro Cardoso
Focused on a sustainable future
As the largest employer in the municipality of Golegã, Casa Mendes Gonçalves actively participates in local revitalisation by taking part in all municipal events.
However, as in many areas of the country, the municipality of Golegã also faces difficulties in attracting young people to the region.
“We try to establish partnerships with schools, particularly in the field of computer engineering, but we find it difficult to attract people here. Mainly because of the location, as it is far from the big cities.”
– Eng. Pedro Cardoso
Environmental impact is a concern at Casa Mendes Gonçalves, which produced its first Sustainability Report in 2022. This will be the starting point for all future improvements. They are currently analysing how they can improve packaging, whether through recycled paper, paper packaging, reducing the thickness of plastic, among other measures.
“We currently have around 2,000 active products. Making changes to all of these products, taking our customers into account, is not easy. But it is a path that must be taken!”
– Eng. Pedro Cardoso
The group also includes a plastics factory, Mendes Gonçalves Embalagem, which produces all the packaging for Casa Mendes Gonçalves brand products. Around 95% of the factory’s production is for internal use within the group.
This gives Casa Mendes Gonçalves greater control over improvements and sustainability in its packaging.
18 years at Casa Mendes Gonçalves
He began working at Casa Mendes e Gonçalves during his holidays, when the company only produced vinegar. After completing his degree in Computer Engineering and Software Development, he was invited to join Casa Mendes Gonçalves.
Eighteen years later, after holding various positions at Casa Mendes Gonçalves, Pedro Cardoso is now IT Manager and Head of Process and Digital.
“For those working in the field of information technology, it is essential to understand how people work and what difficulties they face. Putting ourselves in the user’s shoes helps us to understand more quickly how we can improve processes.”
– Eng. Pedro Cardoso
The biggest challenge faced by Pedro Cardoso was the transition from RP to SAP in 2019. According to the engineer, it was a necessary process, as dependence on suppliers caused several internal constraints at Casa Mendes Gonçalves.
“It was a real challenge, as I was the only one here at the time! As we were dependent on external companies and outsourcing services, we had many difficulties with the fluidity of processes. It was a year that was completely turned upside down, but it was rewarding.”
– Eng. Pedro Cardoso
Weight control down to the gram so that nothing goes wrong
Barcelbal scales are interconnected in the Casa Mendes Gonçalves system and allow for the control of product weight and quality.
Controlling the weight of the ingredients in recipes is essential to guarantee the quality of Casa Mendes Gonçalves brand sauces. With a reduced margin of error, a single gram makes all the difference and can render the recipe non-compliant.
In addition to controlling the weight of the ingredients in recipes, Casa Mendes Gonçalves also controls the weight of the packaging to ensure that the packages contain the correct amount of product.
Barcelbal scales are connected to Casa Mendes Gonçalves’ SAP software so that the information collected by the scales is immediately available online and human error is reduced. Whenever a new production order is placed, all equipment is updated simultaneously.
“Barcelbal scales do not usually cause any problems, but whenever we need anything, we send the equipment to your premises and it is repaired.”
– Eng. Pedro Cardoso
The success of Casa Mendes Gonçalves is our success!
