One of the company's managers, Nuno Ribeiro, explained that Malpiagro was founded in 2008, after nearly 40 years of work in Malpica do Tejo (Castelo Branco).

“This is a family business that was started, individually, by my father. He started his life in cheese. We always produce sheep's cheese, goat's cheese and a mixture of sheep and goat's cheese, using only milk from the region [Castelo Branco]. This still happens today”, he told Lusa.

Nuno Ribeiro stated that about two years ago they decided to invest around €1 million in a new manufacturing unit, in the Industrial Area of ​​Castelo Branco, where they have been working since the beginning of the year.

“We decided to invest in the Industrial Zone of Castelo Branco, in the midst of a pandemic [covid-19]. It was difficult. But it tasted good because it was at a difficult time. Then, we started [working] in January 2021”, he stressed.

According to the official, Malpiagro's customers have been growing, mainly due to the proximity commercial policy applied by the company.

“We only sell to small retailers, to small (local) businesses, nationwide. But, we put more emphasis, always, on the interior”, he underlined.

Nuno Ribeiro highlighted that the company has undergone a major expansion in recent years.

“We have had a very large expansion for a few years now, of around 30 to 40 percent in the increase in sales and production. This year, we are going to finish production with around 100 tonnes of pure sheep cheese, pure goat cheese and a mixture of sheep and goat”, he said.

Exports represent only between 5 and 10 percent of the company's turnover, whose annual value is around €1 million.

The Malpiqueijo brand was recently awarded by one of the most important quality seals in the world, the "World Cheese Awards", with gold, silver and bronze in three distinct segments, among more than 4,000 cheeses from 40 countries.