It was in 2012 that siblings Jorge and Andreia Ferreira began to flesh out the concept they wanted for their project. Something innovative, something different, something that mixed their passions: chemistry and art on Jorge's side and gastronomy and food engineering on Andreia's. This is how Meia Dúzia was born. That's how Meia Dúzia was born, the Famalicense brand that brings together traditional Portuguese products, mixed in unexpected and unique flavours, presented in tubes of paint and with high-quality jams inside.
‘It would have to be impactful, it would have to project itself internationally and with the concept of a traditional product, made with markedly Portuguese products, of high quality,’ said Jorge Ferreira, when Famalicão Mayor Mário Passos visited the Meia Dúzia production unit in the parish of Outiz.
The mayor identified Jorge and Andreia Ferreira as the Faces of Famalicão European Entrepreneurial Region, recalling that Meia Dúzia was one of the first innovative projects to be highlighted by the Famalicão Made IN municipal project.
‘Meia Dúzia is a good example of the values that led to the creation of Famalicão Made IN, which, among other actions, involves projecting the best of what is made in our region,’ said Mário Passos. ‘The product is of high quality, mixes traditional flavours and to all this they added the idea of innovative packaging, a tube that adds value to the concept,’ added the mayor.
The brand now has five shops in Porto and Lisbon, from where tourists take Meia Dúzia as ‘the most original souvenir, treat or gift that they can take with them to experience the genuine flavours of Portugal’, adds Andreia Ferreira.
‘Today, Meia Dúzia presents a range of products that provide different experiences for those who visit us, who appreciate what we do and take us all over the world,’ she says, ’fulfilling what was our ambition and fills us with pride, which is to produce a brand from Famalicão that is distinctly Portuguese and is recognised for its flavour, quality and the innovation we put into the packaging and presentation.’
The project's innovation has given it wings since its inception and there seems to be no limit to the experiences. Today the brand offers close to a hundred experiences related to products of Portuguese origin, which mix organically produced raw materials such as blueberries, redcurrants, raspberries, figs and aromatic herbs in jams, teas, liqueurs, olive oils, sweets and savoury snacks.
The company is still very much family-run and traditional, ‘because we like to put our hand in the whole process,’ says Jorge Ferreira. The production unit will soon grow, as part of a project ‘to provide greater capacity to respond to the growing demand we have’.
In addition to its presence in physical shops in Lisbon and Porto, the brand reaches the four corners of the world through tourist-visitors and the online shop. ‘We are proud, for example, to be on sale with the South Korean airline, where we are recognised and recommended with our signature brand ‘Portuguese Flavours Experiences’,’ says Andreia Ferreira.
