Casa Bernadí, three generations of cold meat artisans

In Casa Bernadí they are experts in the elaboration of artisanal cold meat. It all started at the beginning of the 20th century, when Lola Vidal served her homemade cold cuts to the customers at the inn the family had in Noves de Segre.

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photo_camera The three siblings: Conxita, Dolors and Ferran

The war came, they were hard times but in 1943 the family decided to start working as butchers, as well as innkeepers. This was the beginning of one of the most important companies in the food and agriculture area of the Pyrenees, based on two main concepts: craftwork and quality.

In 1962, they focused just on the elaboration of ham (the speciality of the house!) and cold meat, a task that has employed three Bernadí generations until nowadays.

Currently, Dolors, Ferran and Conxita Vidal, the three siblings, run an established artisanal food company, which is still growing thanks to lots of effort, hard work and dedication. “We’re passionate about our job, we’ve always seen our family do it and we want to keep doing it the same way our grandmother taught us to”, says Ferran. Actually, one of the secrets of Casa Bernadí is to preserve recipes from their ancestors to do what is now considered gourmet products.

Artisanal Pyrenean methods

“Bull de donja”, a typical Pyrenean cold cut, is one of the key products of Casa Bernadí. They prepare in their workshop in Alt Urgell and they follow their very own and unique artisanal method, which gives it a really characteristic flavour.

Other products, such as ham, also have a hallmark. “Pigs are bred in Peramola and they are carried to our own slaughterhouse in Noves. Hams are dried following the traditional way, without the leg and the bone and cured between 18 and 24 months so they keep the great quality and flavour they used to have in the past” says Ferran. “The 90% of our products are gluten-free and we have a wide range of 100% natural foodstuffs, without any preservatives or colourings. It’s our philosophy”, adds Conxita.

Casa Bernadí has two own shops, one in Noves de Segre and the other in the main street of la Seu d’Urgell, as well as their own delivery company in Andorra. They also take guided tours at the workshop, where they offer group tastings.

In Corte Inglés, for 40 years

Most of their products are locally distributed among Alt Urgell, Cerdanya and Andorra. This is the area where the cold cuts Casa Bernadí are specially recognised and valued, although they are slowly reaching exclusive restaurants and shops all over the country.

“One day, 40 years ago, the person in charge of the Club Gourmet Corte Inglés discovered us in Hotel Boix, in Martinet. The next day he came home, he left with the first order and since then we sell in that shop of the Diagonal of Barcelona”, explains Dolors.