La Abuela Carmen

What La Abuela Carmen does

La Abuela Carmen is a family-owned Spanish garlic producer and specialty fermented products manufacturer headquartered in Montalbán de Córdoba, Spain, operating since 1983. The company cultivates its own raw materials on dedicated plantations and controls all production phases from field to table, processing 4,960 tonnes of garlic annually across 24,960 m² of facilities with 260 employees. It holds a portfolio of 25+ years of organic certification plus Global GAP, IFS, BRC, and vegan certifications, and claims to be the first black garlic producer in Europe and the only company worldwide producing black onion.

The company's core technology is a controlled temperature and humidity fermentation process that converts fresh garlic into black garlic with five times the antioxidant capacity of fresh garlic, without preservatives or additives. This proprietary fermentation and aging technology has been extended to black onion, black lime, and black mandarin, creating a differentiated specialty product line. The company also operates vertical integration from cultivation through processing, supported by an in-house R&D and quality department, and has achieved zero waste through a circular economy program.

The business model operates across four revenue streams: B2B wholesale supply to supermarket chains (including Mercadona and El Corte Inglés) and specialty health food retailers; private label and contract manufacturing for retailer brands; HORECA and agrifood industry supply (20+ years); and direct-to-consumer e-commerce through its own online store. Approximately 70% of production is exported internationally, with active expansion into Asian markets via trade missions and confirmed operations in Germany.

Name

La Abuela Carmen

Legal name

Manuel Vaquero Ortiz

Website

https://laabuelacarmen.com

Company type

Private

Founded year

1983

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

11–50 employees

Short description

La Abuela Carmen is a family-owned Spanish garlic producer and specialty fermented foods manufacturer (black garlic, black onion, black lime) based in Montalbán de Córdoba, serving supermarket chains, HORECA, agrifood industry, and direct-to-consumer channels across 70% export markets.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Product category

Specialty Garlic and Fermented Food Manufacturing

NAICS

Fresh Fruit and Vegetable Merchant Wholesalers (42448)

SIC

Food And Kindred Products (2000), Canned, Frozen & Preservd Fruit, Veg & Food Specialties (2030), Wholesale-Groceries & Related Products (5140)

akta.pro industry

PRIMARYAFAKADAN

Pesto, Cooking Pastes & Concentrated Flavor Bases Manufacturing

Agriculture & Food Production/Food Processing & Manufacturing/Condiments, Sauces, Dressings & Spreads Manufacturing

SECONDARYAFAIAIAF

Ethnic Spices, Herbs & Seasonings Wholesale

Agriculture & Food Production/Food Distribution & Wholesale/Specialty & Ethnic Foods Wholesale

SECONDARYAFAIACAB

Fresh Vegetable Wholesale

Agriculture & Food Production/Food Distribution & Wholesale/Produce (Fresh Fruit & Vegetable) Wholesale

Keywords

• Garlic production
• Black garlic processing
• Organic food manufacturing
• Specialty agrifood products
• Private label manufacturing

Headquarters

HQ city

Montalbán de Córdoba

HQ country

Spain

HQ region

Europe

Offices2 records

Markets served

GTM type

B2B and B2C

Offering type

Hardware or Manufacturing

Cost components

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

Revenue model

1. Wholesale to Supermarkets and Retailers: B2B bulk sales of garlic and specialty products to supermarket chains including Mercadona and specialty health food retailers. Private label production and packaging services for retailer brands.
2. Direct-to-Consumer Online Sales: E-commerce sales through company website selling products at retail prices with shipping to individual consumers. Free shipping over €45 threshold.
3. HORECA and Agrifood Industry Supply: Supply agreements with food service sector and food industry for over 20 years. Bulk ingredient supply for industrial food manufacturing.
4. Private Label/Contract Manufacturing: Creation and packaging of black garlic products for retailer's own brands with quality guarantee. Custom production services for business customers.

Pricing tiers

Go-to-market motion3 records

Distribution channels4 records

Marketing channels6 records

Core offering

La Abuela Carmen is a family-owned garlic producer and exporter specializing in fresh garlic varieties, black garlic (via natural fermentation), and a range of processed specialty products including ecological/organic garlic, fried garlic, peeled and dried garlic, pickled garlic, black onion, black lime, and black mandarin. The company sells wholesale to supermarkets and HORECA/agrifood industry while also operating a direct-to-consumer online shop, producing private label for retailers, and exporting 70% of its production internationally.

Product overview

La Abuela Carmen is a family-owned Spanish garlic producer and exporter based in Montalbán de Córdoba, Córdoba. The company operates a diversified product portfolio centered on fresh garlic and black garlic as core products, supplemented by processed garlic products (fried, paste, peeled, dried, pickled), black onion, black lime, and black mandarin. The product architecture consists of a core fresh/ecological garlic base, a flagship black garlic line (including capsules and powders), and innovative blackened specialty products (black onion, black lime, black mandarin). The company also offers products for the supermarket sector and food industry, providing both consumer-packaged goods and bulk/industrial ingredients.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Brands

• La Abuela Carmen BIO: Organic/ecological product line launched in 2013 featuring organically certified garlic and garlic products.

Products and services

• Ajo Fresco (Fresh Garlic) Fresh garlic including White, Purple, Violet, and Brine varieties, sourced from own plantations, sold wholesale and retail.
• Ajo Negro (Black Garlic)

Quantifiable outcome

• Five times higher antioxidant capacity in black garlic compared to fresh garlic, with doubled free radical trapping capacity
• +2 more outcomes

Named customers6 records

Segments3 records

Ideal customer profiles3 records

Technology focussed No

API detail

Has API

No

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

Feature3 records

Partnerships

Two partnerships are on record, tiered core.

• Extenda (Empresa Pública Andaluza de Promoción Exterior)coreGTM or Marketing Partner · 3 April 2023Andalusian public promotion entity that organized agroalimentary mission to Philippines where La Abuela Carmen participated to promote black garlic products in Asian markets. Part of regional export promotion efforts.
• Manuel Vaquero OrtizcoreOthersLegal owner and operator of the laabuelacarmen.com website and Ajos La Abuela Carmen business. Tax ID 75633704K.

Scale indicators9 records

Recent moves6 records

Expansion highlights6 records

Broad incumbents

• McCormick & Company: Global spice, seasoning and condiment company with significant garlic, smoked, and dried product lines. Comparable to La Abuela Carmen in spice/condiment positioning, but at vastly larger scale and broader category footprint.
• Roland Foods: US-based specialty food importer/distributor with broad portfolio including garlic products, dried vegetables, and condiments supplied to retail and foodservice. Comparable to La Abuela Carmen as a specialty garlic/preserved vegetable supplier, but operates a much wider portfolio.

Direct peers

• Christopher Ranch: Largest US garlic producer and packer offering fresh, peeled, processed and organic garlic to retail and foodservice. Closely comparable to La Abuela Carmen in vertical integration, garlic product breadth, and B2B supply to major supermarket chains.
• The Garlic Company: US-based grower and processor of fresh and processed garlic with peeled, jarred and pureed product lines. Comparable to La Abuela Carmen in processing-paste specialization, private-label capabilities, and supply to retail/foodservice customers.
• Grupo Ajos de la Abuela: Spanish garlic producer offering fresh, black and organic garlic to retail and HORECA channels. Comparable to La Abuela Carmen in Iberian garlic sourcing, organic and black garlic SKUs, and direct-to-consumer plus B2B distribution.
• Agruazpe / Ajos Azpeña: Spanish garlic cooperative/packer with national retail and export presence. Comparable to La Abuela Carmen in fresh garlic packing, Spanish supermarket distribution, and export of garlic products.
• Ajos Vallelongo: Spanish garlic producer and exporter based in Las Pedroñeras (Cuenca), serving retail and foodservice. Comparable to La Abuela Carmen in Spanish-origin garlic production, export orientation, and supermarket/foodservice supply.

Regional players

• Garlic World (Australia): Vertically integrated Australian garlic grower producing fresh, peeled and processed garlic for domestic retail. Comparable to La Abuela Carmen in plantation-to-package vertical integration but operates in a different geography.

Emerging players

• Allicin International: Specialist in stabilized allicin and garlic-derived ingredients for nutraceutical and food applications. Comparable to La Abuela Carmen's Nigrum capsule line and antioxidant/health-positioned garlic derivatives.
• Black Garlic Inc. Niche US producer of aged black garlic and related specialty condiments for retail and foodservice. Comparable to La Abuela Carmen in black garlic fermentation process focus and premium positioning, though smaller and US-only.

Market position

Strengths5 records

Weaknesses5 records

Competitive moat5 records

Key risks7 records

Key highlights7 records

Customer concentration

• YouTubeyoutube.com/user/ajoslaabuelacarmen
• Facebookfacebook.com/Ajos-La-Abuela-Carmen-160921333996557
• LinkedInlinkedin.com/company/laabuelacarmen
• Instagraminstagram.com/laabuelacarmen_com

Compliance5 records

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Profiles1 record

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 La Abuela Carmen