Our family business of quality candied fruits: a trip to the past

Quality candied fruits are a reference in the gastronomy of Aragon, and one of the hallmarks of Lazaya, our family business. The growing of fruit trees is deeply rooted in these lands, and several generations of our family made a living from it. Exceptional weather conditions have contributed to make this region’s fruit a referent all over the world.
Despite the fact that plantations are in the origins of the family business of preserved fruit and quality candied fruits, our ancestors Jesús and José María were also pioneers in the starting of preserving activities using the fruit produced in the region of Calatayud.

Certainly, they were entrepreneurs with a great commercial vision who realized the huge potential of the fruit of Aragon and decided to make their qualities known beyond the limits of the region… The two family names, Lázaro and Yagüe, inspired the acronym that named the new company, Lazaya. That name has lasted until today, as have the corporate values ​​of the past.

First stage: semi-finished products made of preserved fruit

Let us imagine the country life those days… The impact of adverse weather conditions, the hand harvest labor, the manual procedures for the fruit processing and preservation, the poor transport conditions… Starting a business had to be an increadible achievement at that time, and this is something that makes us more proud of our ancestors.

Originally, Lazaya focused its operations on the processing of preserved fruit in SO2 and fruit pulp. They sold Lazaya’s production to other businessmen that used those products, made of the best raw materials, for different elaborations.

As the demand is on the increase, Lazaya realized that it was also able to produce its own quality candied fruits, making the necessary investments and adjustments in the factory. All the needed steps were made to progress from the clay pots for preserving fruit to the current technology: preserving containers able to support 1,500 kg of fruit. No doubt that it was a huge step in just a few decades!

In 1975, the family business was split between the two founders, and Lazaya was relocated in new, bigger and modern facilities, with greater production capacity and equipped with the most advanced technology for that period. It was then when our father, Francisco Lázaro Arambudo, the son of one of the founders, took the management of the family business of preserved fruit, and laid the ground for a new era in the company.

Business expansion to assume a growing demand on quality candied fruits

The family business of quality candied fruits continued its growth at the same time as this beautiful region made a significant progress. In the eighties, a new enlargement of the plant was performed in order to process more preserved fruit.

There was a good reason for that. The demand on cherry in syrup was on the increase in the markets abroad, and Lazaya needed to assume a greater production. Thus a new plant in Calatayud was born.

The export quota was increasing in our family business of quality candied fruits and preserved fruit in general… And the exporting vocation would prevail from that moment to our days as a benchmark for those who have taken Lazaya’s management.

A strong feeling of attachment to the country of origin…

In the early nineties, Conservas Lazaya, Frutas y Dulces S.L. shows its entrepeneural spirit and love for the land of Calatayud with the return back to the origins of the family business: the purchase of  50 hectares of land in Épila (Aragón) in order to plant our own fruit trees. It is the begining of  new era in which Lazaya will embrace all stages of the preserved fruit production, from growing (mostly cherry trees) to proccessing, packaging and shipping. With these new acquisitions, our fields devoted to fruit trees achieve 130 hectares.

The three sons currently managing the family business, Jesús, Ignacio and Alfonso, assume Lazaya’s management at the dawn of the new millenium. Our bet is firm: an investment program that has improved our competitiveness, has adapted our activities to the stricter compliance with quality and food safety guidelines through the improvement of the facilities and has reinforced the presence of our quality candied fruits and preserved fruit from Aragon in the international markets. We are actively working on new presentations that may meet our customers’ needs in all segments.

Looking to the future with the same values of the past…

We have been raised among fruit trees and preserved fruit, and have attended an unprecedented technological revolution in the processing of food.  However, the values of our ancestors haven’t been lost in these 75 years of family business history.

Ethical principals and commitment with quality preserved fruit are the same now and then in Lazaya, though they have evolved to meet modern times, standaritazion process and implemented certifications.

Respect for the environment, generation of wealth in a fairly way, purchase of fruit to local producers and support of social projects go on being part of our company DNA.

We were instilled  love for a job well done, and thus quality and food security, as well as strong convition that our customers’ satisfaction comes first,  are core values of Lazaya we want to preserve and pass on future generations.