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More than six million kilos of 'mantecados' from Antequera in the north of Malaga province are expected to be produced in a record-breaking season. Not only will the cakes that are winter favourites, especially at Christmas, sweeten the homes of those who buy them, but for four months their production will also provide employment for 371 people, 247 more than the 124 people who work all year round to make them and other sweets.
The prediction is a production run of 6,283 tonnes of mantecados, polvorones, alfajores and roscos this season which will go on sale until December in shops and supermarkets throughout Spain. This is more than the 5,725 tonnes in 2023 and the 5,933 tonnes in 2021, which until now was the record production figure.
Every year, production starts earlier and is extended as long as possible, with the aim to sell the biscuits into January and February, when the weather gets cooler. There will be new flavours: the traditional cinnamon and almond flavours will be followed by chocolate, lemon, pistachio, cashew, butter, oil and cheesecake and tiramisu.
From August onwards, the smell of cinnamon wafts through the streets where bakeries start preparing for the production season and Christmas. During this period, many people visit the town, who are keen to sightsee, but also enjoy the mantecados.
This sweet is one of Antequera's traditional products, along with mollete, bienmesabe and olive oil.
The companies
Among the different companies, leading production is Sancho Melero with 3,500 tonnes and 105 workers. The company makes more than half of the mantecados, producing them all year round as they base their production on exports to Europe and Asia, which consume them every month. It supplies Carrefour, Día, Eroski, Aldi, as well as others.
Following in its footsteps are, Delicias de Antequera, Artesanías de Antequera, Primitivos de Aguilera, La Antequerana, Torcadul and Antiguos Artesanos de Aguilera. They also have a large presence in supermarkets, national distribution and even in Europe. La Perla and San Pancracio focus their sales on shops in Antequera. In addition, San Pancracio and its "Bocados que guardan la memoria de Antequera" (snacks that keep the memory of Antequera) - as locals call them - are a reference point for tourist visits to the bakery-museum.
On a day-to-day basis, Panadería-Confitería Santiago, Victoria de Aguilera, Belén, Las Descalzas and La Encarnación, have limited production that is consumed on premises. This year, Piobiem and Aldamira have joined in with production, with Piobiem signing up Guillermo Ramos, an outstanding connoisseur of the industry, having grown up in the local area.
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