Oswaldo Betancort: “This step represents a generational opportunity to grow, create jobs for our families, and take the Lanzarote brand worldwide, led by our best ambassadors: local producers.”
Institutional Delegation Advances in Product Placement
The institutional delegation from Lanzarote, led by Cabildo President Oswaldo Betancort, Chamber of Commerce President José Valle, CEO of the Centres for Arts, Culture and Tourism Ángel Vázquez, and CEO of SPEL-Turismo Lanzarote Héctor Fernández, has made significant strides in positioning the island’s gourmet products within HEB supermarkets, a key player in the southern United States and Mexico.
This initiative came to fruition during a visit to an HEB location in San Antonio, alongside a delegation of local producers, as part of an official mission that began in New York with high-level meetings involving the Spanish Consulate, Turespaña, and the Spain-US Chamber of Commerce, aimed at supporting companies aspiring to enter the American market.
President Oswaldo Betancort stated, “This step is a unique opportunity for a generation to grow, create jobs in our families, and promote the Lanzarote brand globally through our best ambassadors: local producers.”
A Continued Legacy with San Antonio
For José Valle, President of the Chamber of Commerce, the trade mission to the USA highlights the effectiveness of the public-private collaboration promoted by the Cabildo of Lanzarote. He remarked, “We are further supported by a unique historical bond with San Antonio, in place since 1731, which opens doors and builds trust in our commercial relationships.”
Showcasing Local Producers
The participating Lanzarote companies in this mission – Bernardo’s Gourmet Products, Bodega El Jable de Tao, Bodega La Geria, Bodega Vega de Yuco, Quesería El Faro, Salinas de Janubio, and Sweetba – showcased their offerings of wines, cheeses, jams, mojos, salts, aloe, and pastries in Texas.
“The opportunity for our products to be positioned in a chain like HEB opens the door to an immense market. For a family-run business like ours, this ensures the future of our workers and our cultural and gastronomic legacy,” emphasised Carlos Padrón, director of Salinas de Janubio.
Marco Taborra, export manager of Bernardo’s Gourmet Products, added, “We have always dreamed of seeing our products on the shelves of the United States. This placement confirms that the quality and authenticity of Lanzarote have a place on the international table.”
Networking and Future Opportunities
The day concluded with the professional and commercial forum “Lanzarote 360º-Texas 2025,” held at the Thompson Hotel in San Antonio Riverwalk, where producers, importers, exporters, and local culinary businesspeople engaged in presentations, tastings, and networking opportunities to forge new pathways.
Lanzarote 360 has been organised in conjunction with the Centres for Arts, Culture and Tourism (CACT), SPEL-Turismo Lanzarote, and renowned local chef Sergio Remolina, as a continuation of the visit made by the president and Lanzarote companies in 2024 alongside the Spanish Government under the “Spain Fusión” initiative.
Over the past twelve months, the Cabildo, through Economic Promotion, SPEL-Turismo Lanzarote, CACT, the Chamber of Commerce, and Proexca-Government of the Canary Islands, has supported island businesses and producers in obtaining FDA licenses and permits in the United States, building bridges with major importers and distributors in Texas to bolster Lanzarote’s internationalisation strategy, enhancing its presence in the United States in both tourism and the commercial promotion of its flagship products.
