Two years after acquiring the former Granja El Alto facility, Navarra-based Grupo Alimentario IAN has completed the full renovation of its plant in Cadreita. The 3,900 sqm facility, which specialises in chilled ready meals — mainly under its century-old Carretilla brand — keeps the site’s historic output of 30 to 40 tonnes a day, now running on far more flexible machinery than under its previous owner.
The Navarra-based group had been producing at the plant since the second half of 2025 while completing, in parallel, the refurbishment of the pre-existing facilities, a process the company now considers finished. The commitment doesn’t end there: the firm has announced it will keep allocating annual investment to modernise the plant and roll out new projects as market needs evolve.
From salads to wild mushroom lasagne
The equipment upgrade has significantly widened the range of recipes coming out of Cadreita. Production began with salads, gratin vegetables, and meat-stuffed aubergines and courgettes; the range has since grown to include wild mushroom lasagne, chicken lasagne, and two varieties of baked rice. All of it, the company says, while staying true to what defines Carretilla: homestyle, balanced recipes suited to today’s pace of life.
For the group, the new plant also carries a regional dimension. It falls under the company’s Strategic Sustainability and CSR Plan, aimed at revitalising rural areas, and is meant to become a growth engine for Cadreita and its surroundings.
Eight plants, present in 55 countries
Founded in 1975 in Villafranca as Industrias Alimentarias de Navarra, Grupo Alimentario IAN has since added brands such as Carretilla, Comaro and Interoliva, growing to eight production plants, four of them in Navarra. With 840 employees — 600 based in the region — and revenue of €267 million in 2024, the group exports 41% of its turnover to 55 countries, with France, the United States, Canada and Chile as its main markets outside Spain.
Source: Navarra Capital