The Andean Flavour of Artisanal Cheese

I had the privilege of working with the team at FUNCONQUERUCOM (El Salinerito products), an agricultural Cooperative whose main office is located in Quito Ecuador, with food processing plants located in the region of Salinas de Guaranda.

The remarkable heritage of this organization continues vibrant to this day, with the hard working, dedicated and passionate farmers who support the efforts of FUNCONQUERUCOM and who  remain committed to the guiding principles of the organization.

The roots of the organization trace back to the early 1970’s, and the agricultural community which exists in the Salinas region, has made significant strides with their production of milk, cheese products, chocolates, cooked and smoked meat products as well as dehydrated fungi.

The Salinerito brand name, which has represented these food products since 1978, enjoys retail distribution in the Quito market in grocery stores as well as through the three Salinerito retail stores also located in Quito.

The quality of the food products which are produced daily at the processing plants are truly artisanal in nature and are effectively positioned in the quality segment of each category in which they compete. Salinerito cheese products, representing the largest portion of sales, have a broad spectrum of varieties, including; Mozzarella, Tilsit, Andino, Dambo and Parmesan.

This business is poised for further growth as it embarks on a relaunch of existing products and is now focussed on innovation and new products which will be targeted to millennials.

The management team is exceptionally dedicated to the history of the business which remain rooted in Salinas de Guaranda where all products are sourced and processed by the remarkable group of farmers and processing employees who make their living in this region.