Move consolidate the group’s Greek berry offering under the muMU brand
Spanish strawberry breeder El Pinar has acquired Greek producer Kyriazis Strawberries as part of its ongoing expansion strategy. The move strengthens the group’s presence in the Eastern Mediterranean and enables the development of Greek production for Northern and Eastern Europe, as well as the domestic market.
El Pinar said the move would integrate its Greek operations, with growers aligned within a common structure sharing production, quality, varietal and commercial objectives to ensure consistent, traceable fruit that meets the requirements of European markets, while also strengthening the company’s presence in the country through a local operational base that enables improved service for both customers and growers.
Jimmy Esteban, commercial director of fruit at El Pinar, commented: “Our goal is to build well-organised projects from the origin, with aligned growers and a clear market-oriented offering. Greece has significant potential, and this model allows us to develop it in an orderly way, with a long-term vision and a strong focus on the customer”.
El Pinar markets Greek-grown berries to customers across Europe under the muMU brand, with coordinated planning of volumes, formats and schedules aimed at ensuring a reliable and consistent supply throughout the season.
Its operation is supported by a local corporate hub that centralises fruit handling, packing and dispatch activities, and is equipped with state-of-the-art technology as well as international certifications including IFS, Smeta and GlobalGAP, which are essential to operate with leading European customers.
From these facilities, El Pinar also supplies markets with the rest of its berry range – raspberries, blackberries and blueberries – throughout the year. In these initial weeks, the first fruit batches are already being packed, with volumes expected to increase progressively as production in Greece ramps up over the coming weeks.
“Being already operational and in direct contact with the market from Greece is key for us. It allows us to gain agility and support production growth from the very start of the season,” Esteban said.
