Cortijo de Sarteneja | Gourmet Tomato Sauces from Spain
Cortijo de Sarteneja is a Spanish family business that produces gourmet tomato sauces in Extremadura using traditional recipes and the finest regional ingredients. It was founded in 2013 by Antonio Fernández de Molino. The young, empathetic Spaniard had initially completed his architecture studies and moved to London to gain experience far from home. He studied the English language and also worked as a designer. When he visited his parents for Easter in April of that same year, his father told him about his idea to start producing "Salsa de Tomate Frito" (fried tomato sauce) based on his mother's and grandmother's recipe and selling it to delicatessens. The family was enthusiastic, and so father and son—one in the Spanish city of Badajoz and the other in London—developed a design and a flavor that became the hallmark of the Cortijo de Sarteneja brand.
Cortijo de Sarteneja | Childhood memories from sun-ripened tomatoes
Not only the logo with the wooden spoon, but also the name "Cortijo de Sarteneja," which translates roughly to "farmhouse of the frying pan," lets our thoughts travel back to Antonio's childhood. His grandparents' farmhouse was located in the middle of the irrigated land in the Las Vegas del Guadiana valley, where the best sun-ripened tomatoes had been grown for decades. It was always the center of family warmth, associated with beautiful, cozy moments and delicious smells from the kitchen. "In the morning, before the heat arrived, we would go out to pick a few tomatoes that my grandmother would later prepare in many different ways: in soup, with minced meat, with a dash of olive oil, or simply fried in the large frying pan as 'Tomate Frito,' my favorite," the company founder reports.
Bringing these childhood memories into a bottle so that you can experience them while enjoying the gourmet tomato sauces was always the declared goal of the de Molino family. True to the company philosophy: preserving tradition without forgoing innovation. In addition to arguably the best "Tomate Frito" sauce on the market—which is made without added sugar from sun-ripened tomatoes, local olive oil, and sea salt from Isla Cristina—we were won over by their organic tomato ketchup and organic BBQ sauce (made with cane sugar and apple vinegar). The use of thickening agents or artificial colors is deliberately avoided.
