A Banca da Sardinha, many sardine recipes from Lisbon
Since 2007, A Banca da Sardinha has been refining Portuguese sardines using a variety of recipes, almost all of which we carry. Whether classic in olive oil, smoked, spicy with chili, or completely boneless – every tin is hand-filled and wrapped in colorful paper.
A Banca da Sardinha is a canned sardine brand from the Lisbon-based company Mediterran Food & Beverage, which has been producing traditional Portuguese tinned fish in modern, colorful packaging since 2007. You won't find a single founder in the spotlight; instead, the brand is defined by a growing number of recipes and packaging design that makes the sardine itself the star.
2007, a new brand for an old craft
Portugal has been canning sardines for over 140 years, and A Banca da Sardinha has been presenting this tradition in a new, colorful guise since 2007.
The country's large cannery factories are traditionally located along the Atlantic coast, in cities where sardine fishing has been part of daily life for generations. This is precisely the tradition that the Lisbon company Mediterran Food & Beverage upholds, specializing in the traditional pré-cozido (pre-cooked) method: washing the fish, pre-cooking it, seasoning it, and filling the tins by hand. These four steps have hardly changed for generations; only the design of the tins has been completely re-imagined.
Over the years, an initial recipe evolved into a constantly growing assortment of variations—sometimes with lemon, sometimes with chili, and sometimes completely skinless and boneless. Nearly 20 years after its founding, it has become one of Portugal's most striking sardine brands, consciously setting itself apart from the sober canned goods shelf.
Where other manufacturers opt for simple, white labels, A Banca da Sardinha decided early on to use bold colors and comic-style illustrations. An approach that was unusual in 2007, but has since become a trademark that makes the brand immediately recognizable even outside of Portugal.
Many varieties, from mild to fiery
We carry almost all of the brand's recipes, from pure classics to fiery hot versions, and we continuously add to them as soon as a new variety arrives.
If you are still undecided, you can orient yourself by three families: mild in olive oil (lemon, oregano, bell pepper), spicy with chili (Malagueta as well as the spicy smoked and spicy boneless varieties), or velvety in tomato sauce, either plain or boneless. Added to this are special forms such as the sardines in escabeche sauce or the sardines in oil with mixed pickles, which combine a pinch of spice with the sharpness of vinegar. If you taste your way through the entire assortment, you are guaranteed to find your favorite.
The smoked sardine, our best-selling product from this brand, is the perfect starting point—mild and smoky at the same time. Those who like it traditional will opt for sardines in olive oil, pure fish in quality oil with no extra fuss. Things get hotter with the sardines with Malagueta chili, our spiciest variety in the entire assortment. For uncomplicated enjoyment without bones, the sardines in oil without skin and bones are hand-deboned, fillet by fillet.
Those wishing to gift multiple varieties at once will find a small selection from the assortment in our sardine gift set, beautifully packaged and ready to give. Each tin contains around 120 g, with a drained weight of about 85 g for the oil-based varieties—a format that remains almost identical across the entire assortment. If you would rather sample the entire assortment of sardines from Portugal, you will also find the other producers from our range there.
MSC-certified fishing, craftsmanship, and colorful paper
Despite all the playfulness in the design, A Banca da Sardinha remains committed to traditional production methods.
The fish are caught using purse seine fishing off the Portuguese coast, certified to the MSC standard. The sardines are cleaned by hand, seasoned by hand with olive oil, chili, lemon, or herbs, and packed just as carefully by hand into the attractive colorful paper that makes every tin a unique little item.
When you open a tin, you can taste the care immediately, without any need for a label to explain it.
The pré-cozido method requires more patience than raw packing: the fish is first cooked gently before it ever comes into contact with oil, chili, or lemon. It is this intermediate step that ensures the meat remains firm and does not fall apart when the tin is opened.
From Lisbon to England, the USA, and us
Anyone building an entire family of recipes must be able to impress beyond their home turf: A Banca da Sardinha has long been exporting far beyond Portugal.
The brand has made it to England, the USA, and to us here in Germany—places where gourmet connoisseurs are already choosy. It’s not about trophies on the shelf, but rather an assortment that has proven itself against established competition in several countries because both quality and design are equally convincing.
On the gourmet shelf, A Banca da Sardinha stands out immediately: colorful illustrations that make the sardine the main character instead of hiding it behind sober labels. An eye-catcher that sparks curiosity before the tin is even opened, and one that clearly distinguishes itself from the rather reservedly designed tins of the competition.
For gourmet retailers abroad, this is a welcome change: where many sardine brands lean on understatement, A Banca da Sardinha brings color to the shelf without compromising on fishing and processing.
Smoked sardines for an after-work beer
From the entire assortment, we reach most often for the mild, smoked varieties, but also for the spicy ones when the evening calls for it.
The spicy sardines in oil with smoked aroma combine both, and we enjoy them best straight from the tin with a cool beer on the terrace. For bread, butter, and a glass of white wine, the milder varieties are particularly good if you prefer a quiet evening rather than a spicy one. Those who prefer a classic Portuguese style will find Nuri, another traditional sardine brand from Portugal, handmade since 1920.
No matter which variety you end up with: simply open and enjoy, best with bread, a glass of white wine, and with no unnecessary fuss.
The milder varieties with olives and tomatoes are suitable for an aperitif, the tin serves as a quick lunch with potatoes or pasta, and for those on the go, a tin fits perfectly into a picnic basket without the need for cutlery. There is a suitable variety for every occasion.
