Experiences: Urruela

Please tell us what your business offers

We are an experience to learn about the rural world accompanied by cutting-edge technology, always taking care of the sustainable point of view.

At the product level, we offer visits to the cheese factory where natural, preservative-free and pasteurized products are produced, such as yogurt, fresh cheese and soon blue cheese.

What’s your added value?

We are an integral project, we take care of the whole process, from the seed that serves as pasture for our cows, through the transformation and ending in the final labeling in order to have the best product; always natural, km0 and sustainable.

We market our entire range in the cheese factory, as well as in small stores, since it is the small stores that best defend our product.

In addition, we take great care of sustainability and reflect it in our processes and product.

Who makes up your company?

Soloitza is a family project. We are currently 3 partners (Mila, Ziortza and Enrique), plus two farm workers and 2 people in the cheese factory.

What have been your main challenges during these months and how have you dealt with them?

The cheese factory started in September 2020, in the middle of the pandemic and just after the long confinement. These were not easy dates for anyone and the main stumbling block was the bureaucratic issue, where it was very complicated to take steps forward.

On the other hand, another small stumbling block is that in the Basque Country sheep’s milk is very popular and cow’s milk is not so popular when it comes to formulating dairy products.

Another very important challenge that continues to require a lot of daily effort is that of family reconciliation. It is not easy to be an entrepreneur and a full-time parent.

What new projects are you working on?

Right now we are immersed in the testing of blue cheese, based on French production techniques. We want to have an excellent product to make the national leap through distributors.

Another project, vital to achieve the best technique, is to continue with intensive specialized training.

In the short term we also want to start with online sales, strengthen social networks, etc. In short, to reinforce our digital image.

How do you see the company in 10 years?

The first thing that comes to our minds in 10 years is to be an established organic livestock farmer. Right now we are in integrated production, but it is another step we want to reach in the shortest possible time.

We consider that the current farms have a more than uncertain future, since liquid milk has a very low value. In order to make it a prosperous business with a future, we see the need to process the milk.

We also want to have a wider range of products, cheeses of different types and if possible, framed within the Euskolabel quality mark.

How has the Basque public sector helped you?

The truth is that there is a great variety of grants, but it is complicated to locate them and each application needs to be prepared with a lot of care. We have obtained Gaztenek, ONekin! Berrrikuntza and Digitala, as well as Lehiatu Berria.

On the other hand, we would like to highlight and thank the training offered, which is becoming more and more extensive and specialized.

What would be your recommendation to somebody who’s starting out?

We advise people to be patient and not to lose their enthusiasm. These are beautiful and very satisfying projects, but they have to be worked on.

It is also important that they look for their competitive advantage and exploit it.

You began as livestock farmers and decided to take the step towards transformation. What aspects motivated the change? What was the main stumbling block?

We took the step to open the cheese factory as a way to achieve work and family balance.

Ziortza worked in the hotel business before having our children and when she thought about going back to work, where she would have to work weekends, with very demanding schedules, we decided to make our dream come true.

In addition, liquid milk has an uncertain future and we wanted to create a family business that would last over time.

Your commitment to the dairy building and renewable energies is very strong. Tell us about your innovative vision that makes your business more viable and sustainable.

We are absolutely aware of sustainability and we consider it the only possible way.

We want all our products to be as “green” as possible, that is why our fresh cheese packaging is made with PLA and our yogurt is in glass, which is also returnable.

Sustainability is very present in our lives and we want to continue improving it.