Medronho products created in the south west of Portugal are known for their high quality, however to ensure that the products have a wider reach the council have backed a new marketing initiative to boost the profile of Medronho further afield.
While raising the awareness of Medronho products is essential to the campaign, the council also aims to help producers to be able to increase their margins thanks to a greater understanding of this unique product by consumers.
Odemira council are spearheading this initiative, however Medronho goes beyond the boundaries of the local area with quality production also being found in areas such as Almodovar, Ourique and Portel in the Alentejo, and Aljezur and Monchique in the Algarve and the council hopes that the Medronho SW brand will enable all producers in the south west of Portugal to be able to benefit.
Ricardo Cardoso from Odemira council said: “the brand is sufficiently large and at the same time, confined, so it can be absorbed by a number of interested producers, who identify with the project and want to add value to work that is being created, developed and promoted.”
Medronho and medronho based spirits have “great production and quality” in Odemira and are considered “strategic products for development and economic dynamism in the local area”.
While for many people Medronho is associated with the strong spirit, there are other products created from the medronho berry, part of the strawberry family of plants, including sweets and jellies and the council hopes that other innovative products will also be created now that producers have further support.