JOSÉ Gourmet

JOSÉ Gourmet is a Portuguese conservas brand built on the idea of connection: between small-scale producers who fish and can with care, and the people who eat what they make. The name was chosen deliberately. JOSÉ is both deeply Portuguese and nearly universal, carried by people across centuries and cultures. In its Hebrew root, the word means "one who adds." That is, the founders say, exactly what the brand is for: adding value in both directions, between the fishers and the table.

The brand sources seafood from the coasts of Portugal and Spain, working directly with small-scale fishers and independent producers. Fair trade is a structural commitment, not a marketing claim. JOSÉ pays in advance, does not negotiate on price, and takes sourcing relationships seriously as a condition of the product's quality. The range includes sardines, mackerel, trout in escabeche, octopus, and more, all prepared using traditional Portuguese canning methods and packed using fully recyclable materials.

The packaging is its own body of work. Each tin carries original illustrated artwork commissioned from Portuguese graphic designers and illustrators, a rotating collaboration led by co-founder and designer Luís Mendonça. The project has become a community of its own: different styles, different voices, each piece a distinct visual object, and the full collection something like an archive of contemporary Portuguese design. For the designers involved, the commissions connect them to a Portuguese tradition through a shared creative framework.