Herdeira da antiga tradição conserveira da ilha de São Jorge, a fábrica Santa Catarina leva até à sua mesa o melhor atum preparado segundo os métodos artesanais usados pelos antigos mestres conserveiros.
“Dolphin Safe”
Pole vault method
Azorean production
A indústria de conservas existe na Vila da Calheta de São Jorge, desde os anos 40 do último século.
A fábrica Santa Catarina fica localizada à beira mar, na Fajã Grande da vila da Calheta.
É uma empresa que se dedica exclusivamente ao fabrico de conservas de atum, que prima pela qualidade, aliando a tecnologia aos ancestrais métodos artesanais, sendo a fábrica, atualmente, a principal empregadora privada da ilha de São Jorge.
Santa Catarina is made with tuna caught using the "salto e vara" method (artisanal pole-and-line fishing), a method that selects the best specimens, safeguarding the preservation of the species and respecting the marine ecosystem, protecting the dolphins, which has earned it the "Dolphin Safe" and "Friend of the Sea" certifications from the non-governmental organization Earth Island Institute, making it the first tuna fishery in the world to obtain these awards; a true example of sustainability.
This young industry is committed to quality, working mainly with fresh tuna, caught in the Azorean sea, which is then transported to the factory where it is cooked, cut/trimmed and placed in cans by hand, where the seasonings (olive oil, water, vegetable oil) are then added, the cans sealed and ready for sale.
Santa Catarina has a daily processing capacity of 12 tons of fish. Annual processing is around 2000 tons, which translates into more than 7 million cans of preserves each year, sold on the regional, national, and international markets.
