Cristina Galafate
Updated Sunday, March 17, 2024-02:06
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After a bad breakfast in a hotel in New York,
Pelayo Pérez González
(Oviedo, April 5, 1975) went in search of the concierge to recommend a place to
recharge
his energy.
It was the first stop on a trip with his wife by car through different states.
In perfect
Spanglish
he recommended: "Go to the cafe in the alley for
breakfast
, the food is
amazing
."
From the street he could smell that he was feeding, the Asturian remembers.
And that's how they discovered
homemade granola,
when it was not yet a fashion in Spain
.
"
Crispy, tasty and combined very well with the acidity of the natural yogurt. We fell in love with it instantly."
The experience continued and the granola followed them throughout the itinerary.
In açaí
bowl
bars
frequented by surfers in California, in Whole Foods supermarkets when they went to buy food... Both hoteliers wanted to cook a similar one upon their return
.
"We improvised with different recipes, in a
very artisanal
way , and we began to give it to friends so they could try them and also to serve in our cafeteria."
They baptized it as the Newyorquina in honor of the trip, because there they dreamed of becoming manufacturers and setting up a
workshop in Asturias
.
The pandemic arrived and, with his businesses closed during confinement, Pérez dedicated himself exclusively to promoting the brand.
"With everything stopped, we were able to give it a strong push."
SOLIDARY
The entrepreneur, collecting trash from the beach, as part of his commitment B Corp.Bolboreta
The premise, he says, was to make the labels as
clean as possible
, without sweeteners or preservatives.
"I have the category covered" or "that will never work in Spain" were some of the first responses they received.
But they liked it, and that's why they wanted to follow their door-to-door strategy and with their own
e-commerce
until they even reached Amazon.
They were not wrong, in just three years they have reached around twenty countries (including Bahrain or the Philippines), they invoiced
1,200,000 euros
last year and have 13 different proposals.
"We have the widest variety in Europe, and we make them all here, with local ingredients, such as Asturian honey, and if they cannot be from here, we try to make them from Spain first, such as olive oil, and from Europe later," he explains.
It has achieved the green seal from the European Commission and the
B Corp certificate
, which classifies sustainable and regenerative companies with social impact.
"We are pursuing a zero carbon footprint, but since it is not yet possible, we carry out different initiatives such as planting a forest in Asturias in an area that had been burned and collecting plastic from the sea, collaborating with a new application that has emerged. We are also installing solar panels so that at least 50% of granola manufacturing is from renewable energy," he explains.
COLLABORATIONS
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Pelayo Pérez, a nature lover, goes out whenever he can to walk through the mountains of his homeland and swim on the beaches of the Asturian coast.
In addition, he practices
basketball and CrossFit
whenever his obligations as a businessman and father allow it.
"There is not much of a boundary between personal and work life but, as I have always been self-employed and very passionate about what I do, I am used to it."
The most successful granola is
keto and
realfooding
,
which he has done together with the famous nutritionist Carlos Ríos.
"I have never thought about making a two-euro product and seeing what I can add to it, but we had a great time composing the recipes and listening to people's needs, from those who are vegan to those who do not eat any sugar, the intolerant to gluten, the one who treats himself to chocolate from time to time or the marathon athlete who wants to replenish his tanks.
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He believes that the
food
business is not easy and competes with many managers who are not manufacturers.
"The margins are very narrow, in large stores they go in volume and pay in 60 to 80 days, so you are always advancing money."
His desire is to be a reference in the cereal line, maintaining the essence from his workshop.
"We roast our oat flakes over low heat with a 100% artisan process. I love to consume it in
salads, combined with Greek yogurt
, which provides protein and is very creamy, or in a smoothie," he suggests.
It has also developed energy bars with fruit pressed with date paste and a line of
overnights
together with Marcos Vázquez, creator of Fitness Revolucionario.
"It is
oatmeal with protein and
superfoods
like chia, which is prepared the night before and left in the refrigerator with, for example, a vegetable drink."
Thus, the seeds are hydrated and better assimilated the next morning.
"It's a good quick breakfast to take in a smoothie to the gym."
Pérez has had to focus on granola while his wife is in charge of the hospitality business, although on his team he is surrounded by girls, from the factory manager to the officers, in administration and on social networks.
He continues to research how to meet the
nutritional
needs of those seeking an active lifestyle without sacrificing flavor.
"I am very restless and I do not conceive my company in any other way than from my small world and trying to be ethically responsible," he concludes.