Estamariu. In Alt Urgell (Lleida), with just over 130 inhabitants, the year begins with a brand new artisan bread and pastry oven.
The project is run by a family from Terrassa, with extensive experience in the co-capital of Vallès Occidental and who settled in the town last summer.
Years ago, neighbors were supplied with this type of products with the service provided by an establishment in La Seu d'Urgell, which took the products to the municipality. Now, this has become the first and, for now, the only one in the town, after the last store that was in the hotel closed more than 25 years ago.
It is a situation that also occurs in several surrounding towns, which the owners of the new bakery plan to reach.
The bakery is called Ca la Xata, thus recovering the name by which Quim Sànchez's grandmother was known in Terrassa. In fact, he represents the fourth generation of the baking business, which is now opening a new stage in Estamariu after having decided, he and his family, to make "a radical life change." He assures that the reception with which they have been received in the town has been "impressive" and that they are "delighted."
The oven aims to give value to the artisan-made product, both traditional bread and whole grain varieties with walnuts, rye and spelled or pastries such as muffins, croissants or sugar cakes, among others.
In this sense, Quim Sànchez believes that opening in this small Pyrenean town can be positive, at a time when closures are taking place in several places due to rising prices and the competition they have from large stores.
For her part, Esther Masana commented that they are very excited about the new project, located on the ground floor of their new house. They intend for the products to go beyond the physical store, delivering to the surrounding towns. Thus, the idea is to devise different routes depending on the day of the week with the aim of "bringing good, quality products to whoever requests it," she explains.
Masana affirms that the bread they make in his establishment has "nothing to do" with what can be found on the shelves of a large supermarket and concludes: "If we have to travel kilometers to serve the product, we will do it."
In the new bakery they wanted to recover other elements that have been part of its history, such as some tiles that they had in the first establishment that the family opened in Terrassa or the entrance door to the workshop, which also traveled from Vallès Occidental.
