Who are we?
The son of a farmer, Pierre Oteiza is a breeder and artisan producer established in his native village of “Les Aldudes” ( 300 inhabitants), located
At the age of 15, as part of his preparation for his CAP (Vocation training certification) in the butchering trade, Pierre Oteiza went to
At the end of this experience, Pierre Oteiza came back to Les Aldudes to manage his family-owned farm which included 200 dairy sheep of “Manech tête noire” breed, 10 “blonde d’Aquitaine” and 30 free range Large-White .
In addition to this activity, he worked in a nearby artisanal butchers shop.
In 1987, firmly believing in the assets of his native valley, he decided to create with his wife Catherine their own company called “Gastronomie de
The company started with a site for producing cured ham and salt meat, completed by a canning factory and a shop in Saint-Jean-Pied-de-Port.
The year after, he discovered, during the Salon de l’Agriculture in
In 1990, alongside fellow passionate breeders, he set up an association of Basque pig breeders, “le porc basque en vallée des Aldudes” (Basque pork in the
In 1992, Pierre Oteiza invested in the site in order to update it; this enabled the company to conform to all the European standards and regulations and obtain EEC approval under the number 64 016 001. There were 8 employees at this time. One year later, the company changed its status to become Pierre Oteiza Limited Company and opened a succession of shops in Capbreton, Ainhoa, Saint-Jean-de-Luz,
In addition, in 2000, Pierre Oteiza founded a partnership with 4 artisan charcutiers from the Basque country to create a drying room (Séchoir) for cured ham: “le Séchoir Collectif de
In 2001, OTEIZA Ltd. had more than 30 employees. The Basque pork group, with more than 50 breeders, supplied about 2000 pigs a year to his company. At this time, the company and breeders made the decision to apply for an “AOC” (protected designation of origin, a guaranteed quality label) for Basque pork (fresh meat) and ham.
In 2004, OTEIZA Ltd. invested again to modernize and expand their production facilities. Inaugurated in October 2004, this achievement enabled the company to double its area of production and to work more efficiently.
In 2007, OTEIZA Ltd. reinforced its presence in
In May 2008, the company obtained Japanese agreement for its processing plant and production site, for the “Séchoir Collectif des Aldudes” and for the slaughterhouse of Saint-Jean-Pied-de-Port to export pork meat to
In the spring of 2009, the “Séchoir Collectif des Aldudes” made important works for extension enabling to double its capacity of production. Pierre Oteiza used this opportunity to cover his roof with 400m² of photovoltaic panels. The “Séchoir Collectif des Aldudes” had 5 employees at this time.
In 2009, OTEIZA Ltd. and the “Séchoir Collectif des Aldudes” obtained approval to export their products to
Moreover, to consolidate and increase its artisanship, Pierre Oteiza Ltd. decided to apply for a procedure called “Sustainable development destination”.
This title confirms its local roots, the actions taken for preserving the environment and its concern for a harmonious and controlled development.
In 2010, the company and the Basque pork industry increased their effort to obtain an AOC (protected designation of origin, a guaranteed quality label): it’s the year of KINTOA, a symbolic name chosen by breeders to designate their flagship product: “Kintoa cured ham” and “meat” from the Basque breed of pig.
Currently, Pierre OTEIZA employs about 50 people, 25 of them working in Aldudes, and directly sells his hams, cured meats and ready-cooked dishes in his 10 shops.
Products can be purchased on the Internet, by mail-order and in some exhibitions and shows such as Salon de l’agriculture in
Pierre OTEIZA has also formed a partnership with some retailers, delicatessens and top restaurants in