From Local Restaurant to National Brand: Sopas Graciete's HPP Innovation Journey

Nestled in the historic city of Evora, Portugal, Sopas Graciete represents a remarkable story of culinary innovation and family entrepreneurship. Founded in 2004 as a small soup restaurant, the company has transformed the ready-to-eat soup market through a commitment to tradition and technological advancement.

A Pioneering Vision

Under the leadership of managing partner Vasco Vieira, Sopas Graciete became Portugal's first company to offer ready-to-eat refrigerated soups. What sets them apart is not just their product, but their holistic approach to food production. The company operates its own farms, cultivating many of the vegetables and greens used in their recipes, ensuring direct control over ingredient quality and freshness.

The HPP Revolution

By 2020, Sopas Graciete faced a critical challenge: how to expand nationally and internationally while preserving the homemade taste and nutritional integrity of their soups. High Pressure Processing (HPP) emerged as their innovative solution. By partnering with Hiperbaric, a global leader in HPP equipment, they achieved a breakthrough:

• Extended shelf life up to 35 days
• Preservation of natural flavors and nutrients
• Elimination of additives and preservatives
• Ability to maintain soup quality during transportation and storage

Strategic Expansion and Partnerships

The adoption of HPP technology transformed Sopas Graciete's market strategy, enabling a robust and calculated growth approach. The technology's reliability and quality preservation capabilities opened up new market opportunities that were previously unattainable for a small, artisanal soup producer.

Their strategic expansion unfolded across multiple dimensions:

• Achieving nationwide retail presence throughout Portugal
• Successfully penetrating the competitive Spanish market, marking their first significant international expansion
• Securing a prestigious partnership with McDonald's Portugal, which began in 2014 and continued to supply two of their traditional soup recipes

This expansion was not merely about increasing sales volume, but about maintaining the core philosophy of delivering authentic, high-quality soups that respected traditional culinary practices while embracing innovative food processing technologies.

Looking to the Future

Vasco Vieira's strategic vision for Sopas Graciete extends beyond its original soup-making roots, positioning the company as a forward-thinking innovator in food processing. The initial success with High Pressure Processing (HPP) technology in their soup line served as a catalyst for broader exploration, first demonstrated through their expansion into HPP juices - a move that showcased both technological versatility and entrepreneurial spirit.

Driven by Vieira's commitment to "fostering a culture of continuous innovation," the company is actively exploring how HPP can transform food preservation while maintaining artisanal quality. By leveraging cutting-edge technology, Sopas Graciete aims to grow and compete globally without compromising the authentic, homemade essence that has defined their brand since its founding in 2004.