Madeira Consorcio

75 Madeira Consorcio Meeting 19.11.2015

We visited the ECM – Empresa de Cerveja da Madeira and found it to be very interesting. It was especially interesting for R. who used to work in a beverage company once and E., as he also works with germination for his bread.

Ana Carina from Marketing showed us around. We saw the beer brewing tanks and filters and the bottling machinery (as there was not bottling going on, we left the place with our ears intact).

The Company has around 200 staff now (it had up to 400 once); the number varies a lot according to seasonal demand.

ECM also produces Brisa Maracuja, for “export” to the mainland and soon, to two other countries in Europe.  Not a bad feat for a company situated on an island in the middle of the Atlantic Ocean!

They have their own ETAR station on the ground, to assure that the water and spring water is controlled and clean enough for the beverages. ECM was the first beer brewing company in Portugal to receive ISO certification.

Brisa Maracuja: we have by far not enough fruit on the island to supply the quantities needs for the beverage, the juice is being brought in as concentrate from Ecuador. The same goes for the  Cevada; the hop (Lúpulo) is being bought from Germany.

ECM also sells Pepsi and 7Up on the island (they stopped the contract with Coca-Cola and Sprite – the war between two giants, all over the world) in licensing.

ECM is owned 100% by Pestana now.

U.will send an email to Carina to ask

• what is the payment time for the suppliers?
• how are the bottles being cleaned, with sound, light or chemicals?

Our suggestions:

• the company should be aiming to be auto-sufficient in energy.
• the company could produce water chestnut-based beer with the chestnuts from Curral das Freiras, this would be truly unique and could be high priced.

We shall have no meeting in December, instead, we’ll see which date would be best for a Christmas Dinner