Cantabrian anchovies do not stop the race: +19% in 2024

From the refined dishes of Michelin-starred cuisine to finger food to accompany aperitifs to the filling of gourmet pizzas: this has been the route along whichCantabrian anchovies have been 'swimming' in recent years, and in the semi-preserved version they are conquering the Italians.
A recent phenomenon with an impetuous growth and which in 2024 made a leap forward of 19.2%.

"This trend is continuing in 2025, confirming the growing interest of Italians in this high-quality product," comments Dario de Stefano, general sales manager Italy of the Consorcio Group, which in 2024 exported almost 111 thousand kg of Cantabrian anchovies, i.e. 56% more than the average quantity in previous years. An unparalleled exploit within the portfolio of the group, the world leader in the sale of anchovies (78.7 million euro turnover 2024, 59% of which was from exports), with wholly Italian ownership but with headquarters and factory in Santoña. That is, in the anchovy capital of Cantabria ever since, in the second half of the 19th century, a few families of entrepreneurs from Sicily started processing anchovies in salt, bringing with them master salters from Italy, as recalled by the monument dedicated to them in the port of Santoña.

This link between the two countries explains, at least in part, the relationship with Italy, which is the leading foreign market for anchovies from the Cantabrian. The recent rediscovery of Engraulis encrasicolus (this is the name of the species, ed.), which is experiencing a second youth and which has reached 15% of the market for preserved anchovies, despite the high prices (from 40 to 140 euro per kg in large-scale distribution), has been grafted onto this historical fact.

"The leap came when this product, historically experienced as an ingredient, became a course food and attention began to be paid to quality, traceability and origin," De Stefano points out. In this premium segment, the origin makes the difference above all, and Cantabria is a seal of guarantee, even though the anchovies that are caught and processed there belong to different quality ranges (the best are those classified 00, ed).

This is why Consorcio has just redesigned its packaging and made the fact that it comes from the Cantabrian more evident, so as to emphasise its pluses: buying only the best anchovies fished in this area and processing them from fresh 'in house' at the fishing site, being the only Italian company with a factory in Santoña.