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All Portugal Conservas Pinhais
AO Edited Gastro Obscura

Conservas Pinhais

Sample some of Iberia’s best tinned fish at this century-old cannery just north of Porto.

Matosinhos, Portugal

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Austin Bush
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With their beautiful designs, the tins make for great souvenirs.   Austin Bush for Gastro Obscura
The tinned sardines at Conservas Pinhais pair beautifully with crusty bread and a glass of vinho verde.   Austin Bush for Gastro Obscura
Sample a whole array of tinned fish in the cafe.   Austin Bush for Gastro Obscura
Women work diligently packing seafood into tins at Conservas Pinhais.   Austin Bush for Gastro Obscura
Sardines are ready to be gutted and prepared.   Austin Bush for Gastro Obscura
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About

Located in Matosinhos, just north of Porto, Conservas Pinhais has been putting fish in tins for more than a century. At one point, it had as many as 54 competitors, but due to overfishing and declining interest in tinned fish, they closed one by one, eventually leaving only Pinhais. 

Today, the factory floor can be visited via guided tour. There, you can witness how women—and only women—complete all the various tasks by hand, from gutting and preparing sardines in the ancient marble sinks to wrapping each tin with the brand’s handsome, retro-feeling labels. 

The fruit of their labor is some of Iberia’s best tinned fish: sardines or mackerel in olive oil or tomato sauce, or a spicy version of either which includes a bay leaf, a couple peppercorns and cloves, a few slices of pickled carrots and cucumbers, and single salt-cured chili in each tin.

After a tour, head to the upstairs cafe, where you can sample a tin—excellent when paired with bread and northern Portugal’s vinho verde—or tinned fish-based dishes including wraps and bagel sandwiches. If you like what you’ve eaten, a ground-level gift shop has tons of tins for sale as well as lots of Pinhais merch, including branded socks.

Related Tags

Food Factories Seafood Fish Canned Fish

Know Before You Go

Tours of the Pinhais factory can be arranged in advance via the website. Alternatively, it’s possible to drop in and order tinned sardines in the cafe or shop in the gift shop without a reservation.

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Added By

Austin Bush

Published

September 3, 2024

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Conservas Pinhais
Av. Menéres 700
Matosinhos, 4450-189
Portugal
41.17873, -8.684039
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