Where do Isabel cans come from? The little-known history of the canning empire

BarcelonaNestled at the end of a steep cliff on the Cantabrian coast is Elantxobe. On the mountain slope, the houses crowd together and cascade down to the port. It is a small harbor, well protected from the wind. Damp nets, wooden crates, and the intense smell of brine are scattered on the dock. In the middle of this Biscayan landscape, a 17-year-old boy silently observes everything. His name is José Garavilla, the son of a Riojan emigrant, and in 1887, he decided to try his luck in a nascent sector that would soon transform the port's rhythm: the canning industry. He opened a small factory and, with the help of his family, gradually made a name for himself in the sector. But the qualitative leap came in 1917, with the opening of La Equitativa, the first large Garavilla Canning Factory. Without realizing it, she has just planted the seed of Isabel, one of the most famous canned tuna brands in Spain, as well as in Italy and several Latin American countries.

Today, Isabel is part of the Italian multinational Bolton Food, which also owns brands such as Rio Mare, and exports more than half of its products outside the country. Although its detailed turnover is not published, the Spanish subsidiary alone—focused on the Isabel brand—moved more than €170 million in 2023. From plants spread across Spain, Ecuador, and North Africa, Isabel reaches dozens of countries and maintains a solid presence in the sector. It also holds a prominent place in the collective memory: the jingle "How nice, today we eat with Isabel"He shaped a whole generation. But how did the young conservator build this empire?"

The can boom

In the early 1920s, the La Equitativa factory became one of the most important canneries in the country and also the most technologically advanced.Auñamendi EncyclopediaBut in 1930, the company suffered a setback: José Garavilla fell seriously ill, and his son, Estanislao—only 19 years old—had to take over the company. The outbreak of the Civil War brought the canning industry's expansion to a screeching halt, but it didn't curb his son's ambition, as he traveled throughout Europe, Japan, and the United States: he wanted to discover the most advanced techniques in the sector and learn the best business management models.

When he returned home in the mid-20th century, Estanislao Garavilla took the helm of the company with a broader and renewed vision. He opened new factories, expanded the sales network throughout Spain, and began exporting regularly. The Franco regime's drive for industry and the credit facilities of the time acted as key catalysts for this growth.

In 1961, the Isabel brand definitively replaced La Equitativa and began a period of growth with large production volumes, low prices, and mass distribution. To meet rising demand, the company opened plants in strategic fishing ports, such as San Juan de Arena, Vigo, Algeciras, and Las Palmas de Gran Canaria. It also diversified production with cheaper and more abundant fish—such as sardines and mackerel—and with more regularly produced seafood, such as mussels, clams, and cockles.

A fleet of its own

In 1970, Conservas Garavilla had to reinvent itself to face an increasingly complex situation. Access to fish was gradually becoming more difficult, markets became globalized, and the economic crisis strained the sector. To maintain growth, the Garavilla family opted for a strategic step: to have its own fleet of tuna freezers and transport vessels that would allow it to operate wherever necessary. The reduction in catches due to overexploitation of fishing grounds and the emergence of increasingly strict international regulations pushed the company to ensure supply at the source. The key was to focus on vertical integration: controlling the entire process, from the sea to the can.

With Spain's entry into the European Union, the company embarked on an ambitious modernization plan, increased its capital, and became publicly listed on the stock market. But the family era ended in 2015, when the Italian Bolton Group purchased 100% of Conservas Garavilla and added Isabel to its global brand portfolio.