Discarlux
Twenty years ago, to talk about long ageing periods in Spain was almost like preaching in the wilderness. Now, however, it is an almost sacred practice in the continent’s finest restaurants. José Portas and Carlos Ronda set up Discarlux in 2006 with one clear premise: a profound respect for aged beef. Having celebrated its twentieth anniversary last year, the company is not content to keep looking in the rear view mirror and glory in its victories. Its gaze is fixed on the future, and it is getting ready for an unprecedented leap: the opening of the planet’s most advanced adult bovine meat processing plant. Artificial intelligence, thousands of resting sirloins and a genuine passion for the product go hand in hand to generate an unparalleled gastronomic ecosystem.
To understand this empire of perfect maturation, you need to go back to its roots. José Portas, a native of Salvaterra de Miño, has Galicia imprinted on his tastebuds and his memory. Before becoming one of the major promoters of premium Galician meat and a staunch defender of reviving native bovine species, Portas cut his teeth in the demanding Madrid nightlife sector. It was later, in the complex intricacies of meat marketing, that the stars aligned, and he bumped into Carlos Ronda. Together they decided that this was the moment to dignify the figure of the livestock farmer, ignoring the trends to make a commitment to traceability and animal welfare.
The phenomenal success of Discarlux owes nothing to chance: it is all due to the domination of time. Literally. They are past masters of the ‘dry ageing’ process, practising controlled maturation, whereby time transforms the muscle into a silky texture and concentrates the flavours to unheard-of extremes. Their focus ranges from their unflagging commitment to selecting uniquely strong native Galician breeds to importing the most exclusive European meats and, of course, the coveted Japanese Wagyu.
This tireless quest to understand the nature of flavour has led them to develop their own projects that border on culinary anthropology. Their outstanding achievement in this area is ‘Fisterra Bovine World’, an initiative centred on comparing the rearing of the world’s finest breeds under the same climatic conditions and feeding regimes on Galician soil, seeking the naked truth about each breed. Another highlight is ‘Ushido’, their particular venture into the world of Wagyu, a highly demanding project developed jointly with the Palacios family. Discarlux has demonstrated that its work is not confined to distribution: the brand researches, disseminates and educates on the culture of meat.
The company’s figures are impressive, but they do not downplay the importance of craftsmanship in their philosophy of work. We are talking about a company that currently sells over two million kilos of meat per year, and that has an established presence in over a dozen countries. Their cuts of meat are cooked in the most respected restaurants of Spain and Europe. They have thousands of sirloins resting in their processing plants, awaiting the perfect moment of maturity to impress at the table.
However, their most significant contribution to the industry is about to materialise. Discarlux is about to unveil a new logistical expansion in Madrid that will completely redefine the concept of premium distribution. The new facility will be 9,000 m2 of architectural and technological innovation. A magnificent sanctum designed to store up to 13,000 cuts of beef maturing at any one time. The stated objective is to open the best beef maturing installation in the world. To achieve this, their new colossus will incorporate the latest technology, backed up by artificial intelligence (AI), to guarantee parameters of moisture, temperature and air flow with surgical precision, capable of bringing out the qualities of each individual cut of meat.
Apart from achieving wonders in a technical sense, the plant is opening with the aim of becoming an immense facility for the dissemination of information. The premises have been designed to welcome visits from professionals, ranging from chefs to sommeliers and international experts. The brand’s promise is to generate sensorial experiences unheard of until now. An immersive tour in which the very smell of a maturing chamber will combine with a futuristic aesthetic, enabling people to understand how the most ancient microbiology can embrace twenty-first century innovation.
The twentieth anniversary of Discarlux demonstrates that the defence of traditional livestock farming is not incompatible with cutting-edge technology. From the green fields of Salvaterra de Miño to conquering artificial intelligence in the logistical heart of Madrid. The company has spent two decades writing the story of adult bovine meat to confirm that, in the most august cuisine, the future belongs to those who have the patience to wait.
