ABOUT US

1Situada no coração da Beira Alta, a Quinta de Vilar tem uma longa tradição agroalimentar.
In the 50s, Quinta de Vilar focused its activity on the apple production, and in 1966 it started the cultivation for the production with higher quality and quantity. Since then, there is a recognised tradition of innovation combined with a continuous search for the best techniques and methods of apple production and storage. In the 70s, Quinta de Vilar already had Normal Atmosphere cold stores with a capacity for 450 tons. Sales to large-scale distributors began in the 80s. In 1989, due to the size and recognition the farm gained among its clients, Sociedade Agrícola Quinta de Vilar, Lda. was formed.

The ongoing implementation of cutting-edge techniques and methods, combined with its location, has enabled Quinta de Vilar to be recognised for the quality of the different apple varieties it produces. Currently, it has 40 hectares planted with apple trees, which allows it to grow the six apple varieties that integrate its range of products. Since 2014, to address the growing demand for its apples, it established partnerships with regional producers, from whom it purchases apples and provides technical assistance, ensuring the quality with which its customers have become accustomed.

Ao longo do seu percurso, e sempre com foco na inovação e qualidade, o crescimento da Quinta de Vilar foi acompanhado pelo contínuo crescimento das suas infraestruturas, desde a criação de um segundo armazém, à instalação de equipamentos tecnologicamente avançados – uma calibradora de 16 canais e três linhas de embalamento de maçã – a sucessivos aumentos de capacidade, dispondo nos dias de hoje de uma capacidade de armazenamento de 13.50 toneladas, consolidando a sua presença no sector.

Quinta de Vilar was the birthplace of the production of dried apple under the brand "FRUUT". Nowadays, the fresh apple from Quinta de Vilar still gives flavour to those thin slices of crispy apple. Initially under the name "Vilarzitos", the production of dried apple in Quinta de Vilar started at the end of the 90s, becoming one of the first European producers of this product. It was mainly aimed at using ugly apples, rejected by the market, and invariably ending up as food waste. After years of research and seeking alternatives, a tasty, crunchy, 100% healthy snack was born, which would help reduce food waste and contribute to a better world.
Quinta de Vilar was the birthplace of the production of dried apple under the brand "FRUUT". Nowadays, the fresh apple from Quinta de Vilar still gives flavour to those thin slices of crispy apple. Initially under the name "Vilarzitos", the production of dried apple in Quinta de Vilar started at the end of the 90s, becoming one of the first European producers of this product. It was mainly aimed at using ugly apples, rejected by the market, and invariably ending up as food waste. After years of research and seeking alternatives, a tasty, crunchy, 100% healthy snack was born, which would help reduce food waste and contribute to a better world.

Quinta de Vilar has always been guided by the constant implementation of cutting-edge techniques and procedures.

In a publication in the magazine 'Vida Rural' from 1990, concerning a meeting of about 400 fruit growers that took place in Quinta de Vilar, it is stated that "In a farm that is already considered a reference, due to the technical progress that its owner (Eng. Cabral de Menezes) has given to the cultures that are cultivated there, " fruit growers were shown new methods and technologies for setting up and managing orchards, namely the automation of fertilization with irrigation, as well as the plantation of a larger number of trees per hectare" informed Cardoso Domingos, Director of the Rural Extension Services of DRABL".

The apple orchards have been subject to several interventions and renovations, always with the purpose of enhancing the quality of the apples produced, particularly the installation of drip irrigation and the construction of a dam with a capacity of 125,000 m3, minimising the risk of water shortage for irrigation in critical periods, such as before the summer harvest

The storage and trading infrastructures have also kept up with the most advanced technologies. In the 70s, Quinta de Vilar already had Normal Atmosphere cold stores with a capacity for 450 tons. In the 90s, it installed Normal Atmosphere Cold Stores, with a capacity of 1,000 tons. In 2014, it doubled its storage capacity to 2,000 tons with the installation of Controlled Atmosphere Cold Stores and the construction of a new warehouse.

Later, it acquired a water sorting machine with 16 lanes, allowing sorting by quality of the skin, colour intensity, weight, and size, essential for marketing, given the high demand of current markets. In addition to this investment, we have installed a new line for packing apples in bags and an automated tray-packing system: Fast Packing.

We recently expanded our facilities, increasing storage capacity to 7,500 tons and installed the 3rd packing line, pallet box cleaning equipment and a box-forming machine.

Throughout its history and within the scope of its activity, Quinta de Vilar seeks to implement responsible and conscious production and consumption models, aimed at managing natural resources in a balanced and sustainable manner.