Catalonia's food sector bets on Mexico

With turnover of close to €210 billion, Mexico is the leading market for Catalan companies in Latin America. The country has grown exponentially over the past 5 years, by 41%, and is forecast to grow 36% over the next 5 years, at a rate of 6.4% a year. In recent years the country has established itself as one of the main destinations for Catalan food and drink, with a market share worth €140 million. 

This trend has strengthened in recent years since the stable presence of Prodeca in the Mexican market in 2021, within the joint work between Prodeca and the Catalan Government Delegation to Mexico. Over these years, Catalan food and drink exports have grown by close to 40% in value and the number of exporting companies by 26.7%. This reinforces, on the one hand, the shift from volume to value that the Catalan agri-food sector has made in its international positioning and, on the other, Prodeca's commercial commitment to Mexico as a strategic market.

Review of activities in the Mexican market

Business opportunities for Catalan companies have increased markedly in recent years thanks to the commercial activities carried out jointly by Prodeca and the Catalan Government Delegation to Mexico, in collaboration with ACCIÓ. 

This was stated by the Government Delegate, Lleïr Daban, at the presentation of the results of the collaboration between the two bodies. Over the past 3 years there have been more than 500 B2B business meetings between Catalan companies and importers and distributors in this market, more than fifteen commercial and culinary promotion events have been organised with 80 Catalan companies taking part and the display of more than 500 Catalan products. There have been several masterclasses featuring Catalan products, with more than 170 Mexican professionals from distribution, restaurants and hotels, plus sommeliers, journalists and sector players. 

These figures were highlighted during the visit of a Prodeca delegation to Mexico, led by the agency's director, Ramon Sentmartí, together with Prodeca's technical manager for this market, Rosalba Arrufat, and Sofia Elguero, Commercial Promotion officer at the Delegation and Prodeca's representative in Mexico, who carried out on-site follow-up of the activities carried out so far, as well as the assessment and preparation of future activities and strategic collaborations in Mexico. To this end they held meetings with players in Mexico's agri-food and culinary sector, such as retailers, importers, chefs and cookery schools. 

Meetings with sector players and companies to promote the positioning of Catalan products

The Catalan delegation's agenda included meetings with representatives of Grupo Abascal one of Mexico's largest distribution companies, which currently works with the country's main supermarkets. Through the various activities with this group,, Catalan products have reached the shelves of chains as important as La Comer, Soriana, Chedrahui, Walmart, Costco, Sam's and Palacio de Hierro. 

The meeting with the owners of one of Mexico's leading importers and distributors specialising in European gourmet food and drink, Eurofood, served to analyse the results of the activities positioning Catalan products and the opportunities in this market. 

With representatives ofEl Palacio de Hierro, one of Mexico's most important chains targeting the upper-middle segment with premium and luxury goods, the results of the various Catalan product promotion activities were reviewed, with particular attention to the Festival Cataluña which had considerable reach and impact, while they showed great interest in using the Catalonia World Region of Gastronomy 2025 recognition to strengthen the presentation of the diversity and quality of Catalan products in their stores. 

The Catalan delegation also met the owner of La Naval, Mexico's leading chain of wine, spirits and gourmet shops, with whom, through the Prodeca team in Mexico, promotion and positioning activities for Catalan products have been carried out in its shops and restaurants. 

The distinction Catalonia, World Region of Gastronomy 2025 was the main thread of the meeting with a representation from the Colegio Superior de Gastronomía de México, led by Gina Pérez, to explore collaboration proposals for presenting Catalan cooking and promoting our products in this market. With Catalan chef Xano Saguer, owner of the emblematic Espai Gastronòmic Çuina and regarded as one of the leading ambassadors of Catalan food and cooking in Mexico, the opportunities and challenges for positioning our cuisine and products were discussed, along with various projects for 2025.

The Prodeca delegation also met the director of the Escuela Mexicana de Sommeliers, Ricardo Espindola, one of the most expert and respected figures in the Mexican wine world and a collaborator of Prodeca and the Government Delegation. With him they reviewed the positioning of Catalan wines, sparkling wines and spirits in this market, as well as the various tastings held for restaurant and distribution professionals. 

Coinciding with the Catalan delegation's visit, the Espai Catalunya of the Government Delegation in Mexico hosted a masterclasses, led by the same sommelier Ricardo Espindola and with Catalan vermouth as the star. The session was very well received by the fifty or so attendees, representatives of hotels, restaurants, cocktail bars, importers, distributors and specialist media. Both in this session and in meetings with sector players, it became clear that vermouths are trending in Mexico, with very interesting opportunities for Catalan brands of this product.