In 1988, Joan Bril began his adventure in the world of Italian food; initially specialising in dairy products, in 2001 he founded Lácteos Palma in Mallorca with his partner. Over the years, the company has evolved from being a small importer of top-quality Italian products and has significantly expanded its catalogue to include select meats, fish, seafood, and even Asian products, adapting to the trends and demands of modern professional cooking. In this interview, Bril explains what lies behind his successful business career, which has made him one Mallorcan restaurants’ favourite partners.
Who is Joan Bril?
I’m the founding partner and owner of Lácteos Palma. I began my career in the world of Italian food in 1988 and originally focused on the dairy sector.
How has Lácteos Palma evolved since 2001?
We launched the company in 2001 and have evolved from nothing to become the company we are today. We’ve diversified into many other product ranges, in other restaurant families: fusion Mediterranean food, Asian and Mexican products... The objective is to provide a service to the restaurateur of today, and it’s increasingly common for them to prepare fusion cooking at their restaurants. It’s to do with worldwide globalisation, which is why we’ve decided to diversify. Our diversification also goes hand in hand with offering premium meat and fish, and developing packaged and ready-to-eat products from raw ingredients. By ready-to-eat, I mean products that you just heat up and serve, but our packaged range has grown a lot too, and consists of carefully prepared products that the chef takes a portion of, cooks, and plates up: carpaccio, first-class cuts of steak... We aim to work with the most prestigious brands in the market and collaborate with practically every type of restaurant.
How would you describe your business philosophy?
From the beginning, our philosophy has consisted of being committed to top quality products and offering our clients reasonable prices. That’s the basis for success in restaurants, and having quality products means that our clients always come back. We also work hard on the logistics side of things, because we recognise that the client needs to have a supply partner, and both the cooking spaces and variety of products that we manage need to be rotated daily.
Of all the products you work with, which is your most emblematic?
We’re most famous for our fresh Italian cheeses: burrata, stracciatella, buffala, mozzarella... We opened La Burratina, our shop in the centre of Palma, in 2021, in the middle of the pandemic. It was our way of being a little closer to the general public and giving them the chance to discover Italian products.
Who are your clients?
Our clients are generally people who work with Mediterranean food concepts. Especially Italian food, which is the most widespread cuisine around the world. They are mainly Italian restaurateurs, pizzerias, fusion Mediterranean restaurants where our products fit in well...
Which is the hardest part of your business?
Making sure nothing is missing or left over. That’s the key to the business, and definitely the hardest part. Not knowing what we’re going to sell, because our clients don’t know exactly what they’re going to sell each day or week either.
And what’s the secret to your success?
Trying to be as close to clients as possible: listening to them, understanding them... And being able to adapt the business to their needs. And also, being constant. Without that, everything else is impossible.