Pasto Alentejano

What Pasto Alentejano does

Pasto Alentejano is a vertically integrated Portuguese sheep farming and lamb meat processing company, family-owned by the Serralheiro family across four generations, with origins in a small butcher shop in Sousel founded in 1924. The company operates an integrated value chain comprising a modern sheep farming and finishing unit established in 2016 (capacity for 50,000 lambs, with per-pen monitoring of feed/water intake, temperature, ammonia, and CO2 levels managed by a veterinary and animal nutrition team), the Pasto Indústria abattoir in Sousel operational since 1991 and remodelled in 2020-2021 (150 industrial workers, specializing in slaughter, deboning, and packaging), and dedicated sheepskin processing and cold storage (capacity 60,000 Merino skins across two chambers). The group became vertically integrated after acquiring the Matadouro Regional do Alto Alentejo, eliminating third-party slaughter dependency and enabling international scale.

The company's commercial model combines B2B field sales to all four major Portuguese retail chains (Sonae, Auchan, Jerónimo Martins, Mercadona) with international export to 10+ countries — including the UAE (GulFood 2021), Egypt (direct Ministry of Agriculture contract, 2021), and Israel (live lamb exports via Bassem Dabbah) — and a complementary direct-to-consumer online store at lojapastoalentejano.com offering lamb cuts and convenience SKUs (lamb burgers, mini kaftas, Pack Grelha). Over 70% of production is exported, with Welfair™ Animal Welfare Certification (European Welfare Quality / AWIN® standards) supporting premium positioning in Europe and the Middle East. In November 2024, Pasto Alentejano signed a 25-year strategic agreement with REGA ENERGY, under which REGA is investing €40M+ in a Sousel biomethane facility to process 271,500 tonnes of livestock effluents annually into ~165 GWh of biomethane and 236,000 tonnes of digestate fertilizer — a flagship circular-economy partnership that monetizes waste, secures ESG positioning, and locks in a generation-long operational framework. The company maintains all investments in Sousel, contributing to regional employment and economic development under a Zero Waste policy.

Name

Pasto Alentejano

Legal name

Pasto Alentejano

Website

https://pastoalentejano.com

Company type

Private

Founded year

1924

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

51–100 employees

Short description

Vertically integrated Portuguese sheep farming and lamb meat processing company, family-owned since 1924. Operates its own abattoir and 50,000-lamb finishing facility, supplying all major domestic retailers and exporting over 70% of production to 10+ countries.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Product category

Lamb Meat Production and Processing

NAICS

Animal (except Poultry) Slaughtering (311611), Meat Processed from Carcasses (311612), Meat Retailers (445240), Livestock Merchant Wholesalers (424520)

SIC

Meat Packing Plants (2011), Agricultural Prod-Livestock & Animal Specialties (200), Food And Kindred Products (2000)

akta.pro primary industry

Halal Lamb & Goat Processing (Certified) (AFANAIAL)

akta.pro secondary industries

Ethnic Meat, Poultry & Seafood Wholesale (AFAIAIAC), Offal & Variety Meats Processing (Liver, Kidney, Heart, Tongue, Tripe) (AFANAJAA)

Keywords

• Lamb meat production
• Sheep farming operations
• Meat processing services
• Sheepskin by-products
• Livestock export services

Headquarters

HQ city

Sousel

HQ country

Portugal

HQ region

Europe

Offices3 records

Markets served

GTM type

B2B and B2C

Offering type

Hardware or Manufacturing

Cost components

Personnel, Supply Chain, Operations, Infrastructure, Technology or R&D

Revenue model

1. Lamb Meat Production and Export: The company breeds and raises lambs, slaughters and processes them at its own facility (Pasto Indústria, operational since 1991), and sells lamb meat products both domestically through major retail chains and internationally to markets in the Arab world and Europe. Over 70% of production is exported.
2. Sheepskin and Wool By-products: Treatment and storage of sheepskins (Merino breed) with a capacity of 60,000 skins. The company also pursues a Zero Waste policy, valorising animal by-products including wool, contributing to additional revenue streams.
3. Biomethane and Fertilizer Sales (via Partnership): Through a 25-year agreement with REGA ENERGY, agricultural effluents are converted into biomethane (injected into the national grid) and digestate fertilizer. While this partnership generates indirect value through sustainability commitments and waste cost reduction, the biomethane is sold by REGA ENERGY.

Pricing tiers

Go-to-market motion2 records

Distribution channels4 records

Marketing channels6 records

Core offering

Pasto Alentejano is a vertically integrated sheep farming and lamb meat processing company that breeds, finishes and slaughters Merino lambs at its own facilities in Sousel, Portugal. It sells premium lamb meat cuts, processed lamb products (hamburgers, mini-kaftas, grill packs) and sheepskins/whool by-products, distributed through domestic retail chains (Sonae, Auchan, Jerónimo Martins, Mercadona), international export to 10+ countries and a direct-to-consumer online store.

Product overview

Pasto Alentejano is a vertically integrated sheep farming and meat processing company operating since the 1920s. The company offers a unified portfolio centered on Portuguese Merino lamb meat products and sheep skins, supported by modern farming operations and an industrial slaughterhouse facility. Core offerings include fresh lamb cuts (Carne de Ovino), processed sheep skins (Peles), integrated farm management (Exploração), and industrial processing (Pasto Indústria), with direct-to-consumer sales through an online store.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Products and services

• Carne de Ovino (Lamb Meat)

Quantifiable outcome

• 271,500 tonnes of effluents processed per year into 165 GWh of biomethane
• +2 more outcomes

Named customers6 records

Segments5 records

Ideal customer profiles4 records

Technology focussed No

API detail

Has API

No

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

Feature4 records

Partnerships

One partnership is on record.

• REGA ENERGYflagshipStrategic or Co-development Partner · 13 November 2024Pasto Alentejano signed a 25-year strategic agreement with REGA ENERGY to supply agricultural effluents for conversion into biomethane and natural fertiliser. REGA ENERGY is investing over 40 million euros in a biomethane production unit in Sousel with capacity to process 271,500 tonnes of livestock effluents per year, producing approximately 165 GWh of biomethane annually (injected into the national grid) and 236,000 tonnes of digestate fertiliser. This is a landmark circular economy partnership representing a full generation of collaboration.

Scale indicators11 records

Recent moves7 records

Expansion highlights6 records

Direct peers

• Silver Fern Farms: New Zealand red meat producer and exporter of lamb, beef, and venison to 60+ countries. Highly comparable as a premium lamb exporter with strong welfare and sustainability positioning competing in the same global halal and European retail channels.
• Kepak Group: Irish meat processing group with lamb, beef, and convenience food operations supplying European retail and foodservice. Comparable vertically integrated red-meat processor with significant retail private-label business and sustainability focus.
• Dawn Meats: Irish family-founded meat processor with lamb, beef, and value-added operations across the UK and continental Europe. Comparable as a multi-decade, family-influenced red-meat business pursuing premium and welfare-certified positioning.
• Grupo Miguel Vergara: Spanish family-run meat group producing beef, veal, lamb, and Iberico pork with international retail and Horeca distribution. Comparable Iberian meat specialist with similar family ownership, vertical integration, and export-led growth trajectory.
• Alliance Group: New Zealand farmer-owned cooperative processing lamb, beef, and venison with significant international export operations. Comparable as a vertically integrated lamb processor with strong export focus and brand-led premium positioning.
• Grupo Pastores / Carnes Oviaragón: Spanish sheep meat cooperative producing and distributing lamb and sheep products with similar vertical integration from farm to retail. Directly comparable as a regional Iberian lamb producer with co-operative roots and national-market leadership ambitions.
• Australian Lamb Company: Australian lamb processor supplying domestic and international retail and foodservice customers. Comparable mid-sized lamb specialist with export-driven model and similar target retail and halal end markets.
• Thomas Foods International: Australian family-owned meat processor producing lamb, beef, and other proteins for global retail and foodservice. Comparable as a multi-generational family business with vertically integrated red-meat operations and significant export exposure.

Broad incumbents

• JBS S.A. Global largest animal protein company operating across beef, pork, poultry, and lamb in multiple geographies. Comparable as a broad incumbent with overlapping lamb and value-added meat capabilities that competes with Pasto Alentejano in international retail channels at greater scale.
• OSI Group: Global value-added protein supplier serving leading international QSR and retail brands across beef, pork, and poultry. Comparable as a broad incumbent in custom meat processing that competes for the same retail and foodservice customers as Pasto Alentejano.

Market position

Weaknesses5 records

Competitive moat5 records

Key risks6 records

Key highlights7 records

Customer concentration

• Instagraminstagram.com/pastoalentejano
• Facebookfacebook.com/pastoalentejano

Compliance1 record

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Profiles4 records

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 Pasto Alentejano