El Reloj

What El Reloj does

El Reloj (legal name Especias El Reloj S.L.) is a family-owned Spanish spice and specialty-food company based in Málaga, founded in 1940 by the Moraleda family and now in its third generation of ownership. The company imports raw materials from more than 30 countries and processes, packs, and distributes a catalogue of over 400 product references spanning culinary spices, herbs, medicinal plants, nuts, teas, and other specialty foods. Its core customer base is B2B: restaurants, hotels, butchers, and bakeries across Spain, supplemented by a physical retail store at Pasillo de Santa Isabel 14 in Málaga and direct-to-consumer sales via a WordPress/WooCommerce e-commerce site with Cecabank and PayPal payment processing. Quality control is supported through a partnership with Laboratorio Ceranal.

The business operates a hybrid go-to-market across wholesale, retail, and digital channels. Revenue mechanics come from unit sales of packaged spices and related goods to professional kitchens at wholesale terms, cash and card sales through the Málaga shop, and online transactional revenue through the WooCommerce storefront, including cross-border orders fulfilled to Denmark, France, and Portugal. The company is small (11-50 employees) and privately held, with no disclosed outside funding; succession has remained within the Moraleda family across three generations.

From a technology standpoint, the company runs a conventional SME stack: a single processing facility in Málaga, a WordPress/WooCommerce commerce layer, and outsourced laboratory testing for QA. There are no AI/ML systems, proprietary platforms, or technology partnerships of note described in the available data; the principal intangible asset is the 80+-year brand heritage and its reputation within the Spanish hospitality trade, anchored by named relationships such as Michelin-starred chef José Carlos García.

Name

El Reloj

Legal name

Especias El Reloj S.L.

Website

https://especiaselreloj.com

Company type

Private

Founded year

1944

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

11–50 employees

Short description

El Reloj is a third-generation, family-owned Spanish wholesaler based in Málaga that imports and distributes 400+ spices, herbs, medicinal plants, nuts, and teas to restaurants, hotels, butchers, bakeries, retail shoppers, and online customers in Spain, Denmark, France, and Portugal.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Product category

Spices and Specialty Food Ingredients

NAICS

Food Manufacturing (311), Other Specialty Food Retailers (44529), Dried and Dehydrated Food Manufacturing (311423)

SIC

Miscellaneous Food Preparations & Kindred Products (2090), Food And Kindred Products (2000)

akta.pro primary industry

Ethnic Spices, Herbs & Seasonings Wholesale (AFAIAIAF)

akta.pro secondary industries

Ethnic Groceries & Shelf-Stable Foods Wholesale (AFAIAIAA), Ingredients, Spices & Culinary Supplies Distribution (CRAOABAK), Ethnic & International Foods Wholesale Distribution (CRAOAAAJ)

Keywords

• Pure spices wholesale
• Aromatic herbs supply
• Spice blends manufacturing
• Medicinal plants distribution
• Tea and infusions

Headquarters

HQ city

Málaga

HQ country

Spain

HQ region

Europe

Offices2 records

Markets served

GTM type

B2B and B2C

Offering type

Hardware or Manufacturing

Cost components

Supply Chain, Operations, Personnel, Marketing or Sales, Technology or R&D

Revenue model

1. Wholesale to Hospitality Sector: Primary revenue stream focused on B2B wholesale sales to restaurants, hotels, carnicerías, panaderías, and specialized shops. Products sold in bulk hospitality-format containers.
2. E-commerce Retail Sales: Direct-to-consumer online sales through their website, selling individual products in consumer-appropriate quantities at stated prices.
3. International Distribution: Export sales to international clients in Denmark, France, Portugal and other countries.

Pricing tiers

Go-to-market motion2 records

Distribution channels4 records

Marketing channels3 records

Core offering

El Reloj imports, selects, processes, and packages pure spices, aromatic herbs, medicinal plants, nuts, dried fruits, teas, infusions, and specialty food products sourced directly from origin countries (India, Sri Lanka, Peru, and more than 30 producing regions). The company sells a catalog of 400+ references primarily to hospitality professionals (restaurants, hotels, butcher shops, bakeries) in bulk hospitality-format containers, and also to individual consumers through its physical store and online shop.

Product overview

Especias El Reloj is a family-owned Spanish company founded in 1940 (operating officially since 1944) specializing in the import, selection, and sale of pure spices, aromatic herbs, medicinal plants, nuts, dried fruits, teas, and general food products. The company operates primarily as a B2B supplier serving professional clients (restaurants, hotels, butchers, bakeries) in the hospitality sector, while also offering direct-to-consumer sales through its physical store and online shop. The product portfolio is organized into nine main categories: pure spices, aromatic herbs, medicinal plants, nuts and dried fruits, peppers and paprikas, specialty products, teas and infusions, general food products, and pre-mixed spice blends. The company sources directly from origin countries (India, Sri Lanka, Peru) and emphasizes quality through rigorous testing by external laboratories (Laboratorio Ceranal). Products are sold primarily in hospitality-format packaging (large containers for professional use) and smaller containers for retail customers. The online store is powered by WooCommerce on WordPress, with payment processing through Cecabank and PayPal.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Products and services

• Especias (Pure Spices)
• Hierbas aromáticas (Aromatic Herbs)
• Plantas Medicinales (Medicinal Plants)
• Frutos secos (Nuts and Dried Fruits)
• Alimentación General (General Food Products)
• Tés e Infusiones (Teas and Infusions)
• Mezcla de Especias (Spice Blends)
• Pimientas y Pimentones (Peppers and Paprikas)
• Productos especiales (Special Products)

Quantifiable outcome

• A small amount (knife tip) of their cumin, paprika, or cinnamon equals the flavor of a full tablespoon of supermarket alternatives

Named customers1 record

Segments2 records

Ideal customer profiles2 records

Technology focussed No

API detail

Has API

No

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

Integration3 records

Partnerships

One partnership is on record.

• Laboratorio CeranalcoreTechnology or IntegrationQuality testing and certification partner providing sanitary-bacteriological controls and analytical testing for all products. Their laboratory verifies purity, absence of contaminants, and aromatic potency. This partnership is a key differentiator for the company's quality assurance program.

Scale indicators5 records

Recent moves5 records

Expansion highlights4 records

Direct peers

• Carmencita: Spanish family-owned spice and condiment company based in Alicante. Closest direct peer — same Spanish heritage positioning, similar hospitality and retail customer mix, and overlapping spice/blend product portfolio.
• Badia Spices: Family-owned US spice company focused on Hispanic and international spice categories. Comparable model: family-run, mid-size, ethnic/specialty positioning, broad SKU catalog.
• Verstegen Spices & Sauces: Dutch family-owned spice company with similar multi-generation heritage, direct origin sourcing, B2B hospitality focus, and growing D2C channel. Closest European peer model.

Emerging players

• Spice Hunter: US specialty spice brand focused on premium and organic spices. Comparable niche premium positioning and D2C channel approach, though smaller scale.
• Simply Organic (Frontier Co-op): US organic spice brand owned by Frontier Co-op. Comparable clean-label, no-filler positioning and e-commerce-led D2C model.

Broad incumbents

• Ducros (McCormick): Leading Spanish spice brand now owned by McCormick & Company. Same product category and Spanish retail presence, but operates at multinational scale with mass-market distribution and broader assortment.
• Santa María (Paulig Group): Nordic/European spice and condiment brand. Comparable mid-size European player with multi-country retail presence and similar spice/blend product mix.
• McCormick & Company: Global leader in spices, seasonings, and flavors. Relevant incumbent comparison: same core category, broader portfolio, R&D resources, and global retail reach that dwarf El Reloj's scale.
• Fuchs Gewürze: German family-owned spice and food ingredients group. Operates in the same specialty/heritage spice category with both retail and foodservice channels across Europe.

Regional players

• Herbes de la Conca: Catalan herb and spice producer with similar artisanal heritage model and direct-from-origin sourcing philosophy, though primarily serving regional/Catalan markets.

Market position

Strengths4 records

Weaknesses5 records

Competitive moat3 records

Key risks6 records

Key highlights7 records

Customer concentration

• Facebookfacebook.com/elrelojespecias
• Instagraminstagram.com/especiaselreloj
• LinkedInlinkedin.com/company/el-reloj

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Funding overview

Funding rounds

Investors

Funding detail is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →

M&A

Investments

M&A and investment is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →

Frequently asked questions about El Reloj