Maheso

Frozen prepared foods

Maheso is a Spanish manufacturer of frozen prepared foods, ranging from individual ingredients to ready-to-eat meals. Its catalog includes cannelloni, lasagna, paella and rice dishes, international recipes, prepared chicken, seafood and vegetable dishes, croquettes, nuggets, spring rolls, churros and porras, tapas and snacks, seafood and vegetable ingredients, bread, and desserts. The company also organizes products by dietary need—gluten-free, lactose-free, vegan, and vegetarian—and by cooking method, including deep fryer, air fryer, oven, microwave, pot, skillet, and toaster.

Company history and production

Founded as a family business in 1978, Maheso began by selling fresh foods, mainly croquettes and cannelloni, to small shops and restaurants. In 1986, it became Spain's largest exporter of prepared meals, serving more than 15 countries after becoming the first factory approved to export prepared meals to the European Union. The company pioneered several processes and products: in 1982, it introduced continuous cooking and cooling, reached production of more than two tons per hour on a single line, developed its own technology for making loop-shaped churros, and launched mini croquettes and mahesitos. It brought vegetables in tempura to market in 1990 and introduced nuggets in Spain. By 1995, it had the largest cannelloni and lasagna production line. In 2002, it launched Horeca Impulso for food-service businesses, a range of foods that can be reheated in four minutes. Later launches included four-cheese lasagna (2011), Pop Nuggets (2012), gluten-free nuggets (2013), churros filled with cocoa cream (2014), gluten-free fingers and oven-baked rolls (2015), a lactose-free range (2017), and Croquetas Experience (2018).

Facilities and reach

Most production takes place at the Montcada i Reixac plant in Barcelona, which employs about 500 people. Maheso also has three regional offices: Dimalco in Madrid, Maheso Sur in Seville, and Iceberg33 in Tarragona. Its products are sold in large supermarkets and neighborhood shops throughout Spain.

Certifications and recognition

Maheso holds BRC certification for its quality management system and ISO 14000 certification for environmental management. Its Churro Bites filled with Nocilla received an Innoval award.

Contact

Offices: Madrid, Seville, and Tarragona. Phone numbers: +34 93 575 30 32, +34 93 575 34 69, +34 91 662 06 19, and +34 91 661 48 55.