The family that sells its premium alfajores in Europe and Argentina, very few know

Basically, the business and the family are the same. Ricardo Vittore, Silvia Chus and their children were the ones who exceeded the targets until a few weeks ago they exported for the first time their products made in Banfield to Europe, specifically to Spain and France.

Thus, they caught up with very few exporting brands of alfajores: Havanna, Guaymallen Yes Cafe Martinez, for example.

But unlike these large or medium-sized companies, Pampean sky It is a family SME. And its premium alfajores that travel the world, a secret that few people know, even in southern Conurbano.

“This expansion success really shows that our products are recognized and accepted which improve our productive development, allow the entry of foreign currencies and make us competitive,” says Silvia.

The idea of ​​reaching new places in the world began in 2019 when her daughter, a graduate in international business, received a scholarship from the My First Export program.

This allowed him to generate a network of contacts to later communicate with the Argentine Agency for Investment and International Trade and the Ministry of Foreign Affairs, so that the Argentine Consulate in Spain can organize meetings with companies in the country. .

“We went to meetings and they even allowed us to participate in the Argentinian stand of the Madrid Food Fair. Thus, our daughter made the presentation of Alfajores Cielos Pampeanos to various Spanish importers and distributors. On his return, we started conversations with a very large European distributor based in Madrid, ”recalls Silvia.

Shortly afterwards, the pandemic appeared to limit them, but not stop them, in their project.

The company did not have good expectations because international trade had been reduced, but it did not give up and virtually reconnected with its contacts in Spain.

“We had to design new packaging, adapt to the requirements of the European market, and thus be able to carry out our first export to Spain», It recalls the historic day when the first batch of alfajores landed on Spanish soil.

Thursday May 13 at six in the morning this would change the course of this Argentinian company, which had become more popular abroad than at home.

Alfajores of cornstarch and coconut and dark and white chocolate have started to arrive in Europe.

Before exporting to Colombia but due to the pandemic they had to suspend sales.

“Despite the difficult situation, we are proud, despite the fact that this is not the first time that we are importing our products. In 2009, we had already managed to leave the country and send products to Brazil, in São Paulo and Belo Horizonte»Recalls the businesswoman who started with the SME in 2001.

That year, in the midst of a difficult national moment, emerged Pampean sky with the idea “of being able to create an Argentinian cultural product that represents us in the world”.

Six years after its inauguration, the Argentine Ministry of Foreign Affairs appeared before the event with the aim of being invited to participate in fairs and business meetings.

“In 2008, the first multisectoral mission arrived in São Paulo and Belo Horizonte, Brazil. We participated on an exploratory basis, accompanied by the Institute of Foreign Trade of the Municipality of Lomas de Zamora, as well as a large group of businessmen, ”he says.

And he points out that they were surprised by the number of orders and sales.

In fact, they say, there were so many that they could not cope with the production and had to resort to a bank loan from the National Bank. Thanks to this possibility, it was in 2009 that they were able to set up a new production unit.

Thus, in the same year, they were again summoned by the Argentine Ministry of Foreign Affairs to participate in the presidential trade mission, which led them to complete the pending orders in São Paulo and Belo Horizonte, and to expand to new places such as Curitiba, Rio de Janeiro, Chile. , Bolivia and Colombia.

Alfajores in the high-end gastronomic style has reached various parts of the world representing the national culture and in competition with other businesses like Havanna and Jorgito.

“Here in Argentina we are in the supermarkets josimar, Queserías del Sur and we also have distributors in Mar del Plata, ”he says of the national market for his products.

Also, as detailed on their website, they are available in two wine cellars of the microcenter porteño, another in Comodoro Rivadavia and a dairy chain with stores in the federal capital and in several towns in the interior of province of Buenos Aires.

Alfajores Cielos Pampeanos is not just another company, because it is committed to different social causes, including gender equality.

“We have an excellent female staff working in our ranks and since 2019 we have joined, along with other countries in Latin America and the Caribbean, the Win-Win program, with the aim of contributing and promoting empowerment women, ”emphasizes Silvia.

In October of last year, Breast Cancer Awareness Month, launched pink Alfajores on the market.

As they say today, they have many projects and goals in mind.

“We want to expand our product line by incorporating dulce de leche cones bathed in semi-sweet chocolate and later develop a range of healthy products,” concludes the businesswoman.