Carmencita, a leading name in the spice sector, joined the Centenary Companies Club at a gala hosted yesterday at Teatro President in Alicante. The partnership brings the club to 29 member companies, a network promoted by the provincial Chamber of Commerce of Alicante and the Association of Family Businesses of Alicante. Since its launch in July 2019, the Centenary Companies program annually highlights long-standing companies known for resilience, stability, and influence. Across their enduring histories, these firms have built durable legacies and left an imprint on the nation’s economic narrative.
Its fourth edition was attended by corporate and commercial representatives. For Carmencita, the event featured Jesús Navarro Navarro, Jesús Navarro Alberola, Francisco Escudero Carlos Baño, Nuria Montes, and Ángel Paredes, a partner at KPMG, taking the stage to receive the recognition.
Founded in Novelda in 1923, Carmencita has continued to expand by crafting its own spice blends. Its roots trace to Jesús Navarro, a farmer from a family of six siblings, who overcame modest beginnings to build a pioneering business. His early work included a stint in an espadrille factory, but his ambition was to become an independent entrepreneur. He later donated land for public schools, ensuring that future generations would receive an education. Today, the Jesús Navarro school and the Carmen Valero municipal kindergarten stand as a tribute to that commitment.
The family story behind Carmencita reflects a spirit of enterprise. The landscape of spice trading in Novelda centered on saffron, which moved through regional canals and reached markets across Asia and Africa. Jesús Navarro sought to improve on what existed, while his wife and partner, Carmen Valero, brought the calm, practical approach and hands that produced the first paper wallets used to package saffron for sale to nearby towns and beyond. As the business grew, Carmen’s sisters and local neighbors joined in, transforming a kilo of saffron into thousands of paper sachets used in households for flavorful meals.
To distinguish the tiny saffron sachets, Jesús featured his first daughter Carmencita in 1926. A photograph showed the girl with a large bow, becoming the trademark that defined the saffron envelopes. The emblem evolved as the market grew; an early marketing move featured a Cordovan hat, an Andalusian look, a Manila shawl, and a carnation to create a distinctive identity. Carmencita’s advertising strategy expanded during the Second Republic, with saffron sachets featured in cinema intermissions and on billboards.
Later, the brand extended its reach to the Canary Islands by sea, capitalizing on the island’s culinary traditions to broaden international presence. The shift also introduced machinery in 1955 to accelerate saffron packaging, meeting rising demand and enabling the product to enter new markets. By the 1960s, Carmencita diversified its offerings with jars and boxes, while the next generation—Luis Navarro, Francisco Escolano, and Jesús Navarro Valero—carried forward the values of the founder: a blend of tradition with modern vision and leadership. This era solidified Carmencita as a market leader.
In 1985, Carmencita introduced El Paellero®, a dedicated spice mix for paella, supported by the company’s first television advertisements. A few years later, 1990 brought a packaging redesign and a significant expansion into more than 40 countries, coinciding with a generational shift in leadership.
Innovation and solidarity
The company now operates from one of Europe’s most advanced factories in Novelda and maintains a robust R&D department. Carmencita prioritizes health in food and gastronomy, with products continually evolving to meet evolving consumer needs. This focus was recognized when the firm received the FACE 2019 Award from the Spanish Federation of Celiac Associations.
The Carmencita spirit also translates into social responsibility. The founder’s legacy drives philanthropy, including a collaboration with Alicante Gastronomía Solidaria, an initiative that prepares more than 900 menus weekly for distribution to those in need in the province.
Additionally, Carmencita has engaged with the University of Alicante since November 2017, contributing to education, research, and dissemination in gastronomy and Mediterranean culinary culture. The organization’s goal is to advance knowledge in taste and cuisine while supporting educational activities and community engagement.
(Fuente: Archivo histórico de Carmencita)