Our Cannery

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Our Producers: The Ramirez Organization.

Our canned seafood brands; The Queen of the Coast brand and The LaRuche Brand, the worlds’ finest seafood products are imported from Portugal, the kingdom of the best canned seafood products. They are produced by the oldest Seafood cannery and exporter in the world; Ramirez & Ca (Filhos), S.A.

Ramirez Cannery in Portugal: the oldest cannery in the world

Ramirez & Ca, (Filhos), S.A. is the largest and oldest Seafood cannery and exporter in the world. Long known for their quality and reputation for excellence, we are happy to call them a partner. A pioneer, leader, and role model to many, Ramirez & Ca continue to raise the bar through innovation and a sincere commitment to quality.

Founded in 1853 in Portugal, Ramirez & Ca quickly found success in the global marketplace. With early deliveries on steamboats and bicycles, they made their way to many loyal fans around the world, before globalization was even a concept. They now supply over 50 different regions of the world with their products.

A family-owned and operated company five generations strong, Ramirez & Ca was founded on a philosophy of commitment to continuous innovation. It’s this dedication to improvement that has helped to make them an industry leader and pioneer. Rigorous standards for quality have helped to forge strong relationships with customers that span across decades.

The canning process allows for seafood products of one local region to be preserved, shipped, and stored for extended periods of time while retaining the great taste and nutritional benefits you’ve come to expect. A rigorous selection process ensures only the finest quality fish are chosen for canning. Over the years, many technological improvements have allowed canning to produce a more consistent and reliable product while remaining true to nature. The taste and texture of fish will always be the central focus of research and innovation, allowing for these products to remain a staple of many diets around the world.

The waters of Portugal are home to the world’s finest Tuna, Mackerel, and Sardine populations and it’s also been home to Ramirez & Ca from the very beginning. Overwhelming customer demand for quality Portuguese seafood led us to offer the Queen of the Coast Brand products initially. However, the growing support quickly led to the development of the LaRuche line of canned fish, allowing us to offer a more diverse variety of products to a larger segment of the global economy. We’re proud to be part of the tradition that brings world-class fish to your front door, year after year.

Over time, the canned fish industry has experienced numerous leaps forward in technology. From industrialized salted fish to helping create sanitation standards that changed the industry, Ramirez & Ca have continually displayed a commitment to the improvement of the canned fish process. Even today, with modern automation quickly working to improve efficiency and reduce prices for the consumer, they remain at the forefront of producing the best-tasting seafood products on the market.

The history, tradition, and legacy of Ramirez & Ca is positively awe-inspiring. With LaRuche brand foods you can bring home a bit of that excellence in every can.

Sebastian Ramirez, Manuel Ramirez and Emilio Ramirez, founders of the Ramirez Cannery

Inside the Ramirez Cannery in Portugal

History

1853

Sebastian Ramirez establishes S. Ramirez, a factory, located in Vila Real de Santo António, with two activities: the production of jute and the preparation of tuna in brine.

1865

S. Ramirez begins to pack their canned tuna, mackerel and sardines in metal cans, and created one of the first in the world canneries.

1890

In S. Ramirez proceeds to make use of an autoclave, which allows makes it possible to obtain the desired temperature very quickly, reducing the sterilization time and avoiding the change of cans sterilized during cooling.

1910

Manuel Garcia Ramirez, who succeeds his father in the conduct of business, extends the activity to capture sardines, acquiring the Our Lady of the Incarnation, the first Portuguese Sardinheiro steam galleon. Ramirez unfolds, with new units in Olhão and Albufeira.

A look at the outside of Ramirez & Ca (Filhos), S.A.

LARUCHE BRAND

The Laruche Brand consists of a variety of delicious seafood products developed specifically for the health and quality conscious consumer who is the primary target of the Laruche Fine European Foods franchise boutique. It includes imported canned fish products from Portugal (Sardines, Tuna, Tuna Salads, etc.); Dried Stockfish (Codfish) from Norway; Dried Stockfish Heads and Bits from Iceland; and Smoke-Dried Catfish from the USA.

SARDINES AND MACKERELS

The Laruche brand of canned fish products is the latest addition to the family of quality products manufactured in Portugal by the world’s oldest seafood cannery, Ramirez & Ca. (Filhos), SA.

If you like seafood, you’d love the Laruche Brand because it benefits from over 160 years of manufacturing excellence and proven success that has made Ramirez one of the largest seafood canneries and exporters in the world. With several products currently under development and on back-order, the Laruche Brand currently features the world’s famous Portuguese Sardines and Mackerels packed in all natural sauces and ingredients with no artificial preservatives and additives. With 10-20% less salt per serving, the Laruche Brand is simply a “Low Sodium” alternative to The Queen of The Coast Brand and a dream-come-true for the health and quality conscious consumer. Just one taste of the Laruche Brand would reveal our unique quality and flavor that is guaranteed to keep you coming back for more. Visit a Laruche Fine European Foods boutique today and see why more health and quality conscious consumers are switching to the Laruche Brand. Simply stated, “It’s so hard to share a can of the Laruche Brand Sardines after your first bite because you just want more”…, Dr. Laura K., author of “Tuscan-Stockfish with Pasta”, 2016, a highly recommended recipe for Norwegian Stockfish preparation.

The Queen of the Coast^® Brand Tuna Salads

The Queen of The Coast^® Brand Tuna Salads combine gourmet tastes and textures with pop-top convenience to provide you a healthy, complete lunch or snack that includes about 18% of daily suggested protein, omega (3) fatty acids, essential vitamins, and your choice of organic vegetables in natural sauces per serving, with the lowest mercury content of all Tuna. It is gluten-free and BPA Free. It is available in six varieties as follows:

The Queen of The Coast® Brand Tuna Salad with black-eyed peas

Tuna Salad with
Black-Eyed Peas

Tuna Salad with black-eyed peas is a great juxtaposition of flavors and texture with the firm, yet tender peas glazed with the vinaigrette and mixed with the chunks of meaty Portuguese tuna.

Choose the 12-pack or the 24-pack