Sardines
Minerva
Minerva is a Póvoa de Varzim sardine brand made by A Poveira, S.A., part of Spain's Grupo Frinsa, on one of Portugal's oldest cannery sites.
At a glance
| Country | Portugal |
|---|---|
| Region | Póvoa de Varzim |
| City | Póvoa de Varzim |
| Founded | 1938 A Poveira, S.A. was founded in 1938, succeeding an earlier French-run cannery on the same site dating to 1920; the Minerva brand itself was registered in 1942 per one retailer source. |
| Company | Cannery (A Poveira, S.A.) |
| Owner | Grupo Frinsa (Spain) |
| Price | $$ |
Notable facts
- A Poveira's site is one of Portugal's oldest cannery sites and reportedly supplied combat armies during WWII.
- The factory was modernized between 2003 and 2013.
- MSC and Friend of the Sea certified.
- Historically the cannery operated 15+ house brands; Minerva is its current flagship sardine label.
- Owned by Grupo Frinsa, the Spanish conglomerate that also runs Frinsa La Conservera in Galicia — Minerva is not related to Conserveira de Lisboa's 'Minor' brand, despite the similar name.
Origin
Minerva is made by A Poveira, S.A. in Póvoa de Varzim, on a cannery site with roots back to a French-run operation from 1920; A Poveira itself was founded in 1938 and, per one retailer source, registered the Minerva brand in 1942. The factory reportedly supplied combat armies during the Second World War and was modernized between 2003 and 2013.
A Poveira is now part of Spain's Grupo Frinsa, which also runs the Galician cannery Frinsa La Conservera. The Minerva line is MSC and Friend of the Sea certified and spans plain, lemon, spicy, tomato, boneless, and young-sardine (petingas) formats.
Products
Spicy Sardines in Olive Oil with Pickles
Packed with pickled vegetables.
Where to buy