Local hero

                                 Award winners Jorge raiado and João Rodrigues   © Sul Informação

Everyone remembers the Algarve for its sun drenched summers when they visit the region for their annual holidays. But the Algarve has so much more than sun and beach, it has products and projects with qualified entrepreneurs working behind them.These entrepreneurs strive with their wealth of diverse experience to put this region on the map, establishing a reputation it rightly deserves.As small businesses we all work together to build "this Algarve". It is often difficult when support and promotion of the region is ignored and lacking by bodies who are only interested in "corporation tourism.The Algarve is a far cry from these quangos who sit at desks far away, coming up with ludicrous plans for a region they have only their own ideas about.It is up to us therefore to be even more responsible not only for what we do, but also to promote everything around us, everything that matters - and there´s one hell of a lot here in "our Algarve"! No one is more qualified in this than Castro Marim local hero, Jorge Raiado of Salmarim,who has just been honoured by the specialized magazine Revista Wine-Essência do vinho.  Every year personalities and projects in the areas of wine and gastronomy are distinguished.This year the prestigious award of Produto artesanal do ano (The best artesan product of 2016 in Portugal ) went to Jorge and Salmarim.

Salmarim is the apple in the eye of a family-based company which Jorge revitalised and from the beginning took a gamble on.It paid off,he has now come to be known as Castro Marim´s great ambassador of a product and a cause that are now receiving their rightful recognition.
Jorge is one of those entrepreneurs who are never at a standstill and  whose head is always bubbling with innovative ideas.Salmarim is not just another company that produces salt.As Salmarim´s envoy Jorge has taken the Flor de sal, born in the salt flats of Castro Marim, to a world of gastronomy and the great chefs, Portuguese and foreign,who work in Portugal and beyond.This creative  businessman and his small team have already produced innovative products and flavours, such as smoked salt or salt flavoured with lemon, oregano,aromatic herbs, olives and chilli.Alongside Jorge, the Algarve was also recognised in an award given to bartender and mixologist João Rodrigues who has already attracted a lot of attention using liquid salt in his cocktails.Who knows ,we may soon be seeing a future collaboration between Salmarim and the mixologist wisdom of Rodrigues.
Here in Castro Marim we all have a huge debt to repay to our ambassador Jorge for furthering our cause and for his incessant effort in innovation and dedication to the recognition of this product, which continues to season  our food and enhance our lives.Keep up the good work Jorge, as only you know how to do.