As we contemplate the olive trees, which spread out majestically before our eyes on a farm in Algaida, Miquel Miralles Jr. welcomes us. They are now in the midst of a generational transition, he tells us, as he - who until recently worked at the Son Espases hospital - now devotes himself full time to the business and has taken over. "Many companies like this are lost because they have no generational handover. In the end, you have another job and you have to give up things to be here, but I feel privileged. My father had started up, he had his clients, and I knew we needed other projects to give it more scope, but all of them had to be related to olive trees".
The backbone of Treurer is undoubtedly these ancient trees and their fruit, emblematic of the Mediterranean landscape. In 2010, the Miralles carried out their first -and small- production, which over time has been growing in volume -this year they have generated fifteen thousand liters of oil- at the same time that the company has professionalized to finally have its own oil mill. Until now, they produced their oil in Sóller and bottled it on their farm, but, as Xisco Blas, director of marketing and operations, tells us, "the objective was clear: to have control of everything to make a hundred per cent 0 KM product".
Local oil, with arbequina olives -typical of the island- and with designation of origin. An exquisite product that has been produced here with delicacy and commitment, like someone guarding a treasure, ever since Miquel Miralles Sr. embarked on the adventure. In fact, that is where the name comes from. Treurer has its etymological origin in the word tresorer (treasurer) and they chose it because, as they tell us, "the treasurer of Algaida lived on the estate and we understood that it had a lot to do with our treasure, rich and golden, which is the oil".
The family farm has not always been theirs, although, as Miquel confesses, "we feel it as if it had been theirs all our lives". No wonder. In addition to olive oil production, they saw another business line around the olive trees: a small agritourism with 9 rooms based on the rehabilitation of the old building, which enjoys incredible views of the Randa valley.
The project was necessary to ensure Treurer's viability, especially at a time when, as they tell us, they are at 60% of the usual production "because the temperatures are very high". Faced with the uncertainty and limitations of the agricultural part of the business, Miquel explains, "we thought there were two options: to start an agritourism project that would give us stability or to abandon the brand and sell oil in bulk".
"People who stay here will find the philosophy of the countryside: silence and respect for the environment"
In the end, they undertook the first option and the result is a beautiful set of spacious rooms, faithful to the Mediterranean style, which has respected the architecture of the Pla de Mallorca. Aesthetically and functionally, the agritourism has been seamlessly integrated into its surroundings to offer a real experience of what life in nature is like. "People who stay here will find the philosophy of the countryside: silence and respect for the environment," they say.
One thing that is clear to us on our visit to Treurer, while talking to Miquel and Xisco, is that here they respect traditional principles, but without fear of trying, of innovating, in search of the highest quality standards. On this need to combine new alternatives without losing sight of respect for tradition, reflects Blas, who joined the company in April 2022: "One thing I really like about this estate is that everything is focused on quality. Before harvesting, every week we send a sample to a laboratory on the peninsula to analyze the ideal time for harvesting. Before, it was done by eye, and it coincided with veraison".
"We study, we test... but we don't want to transform the field. The field is the way it is."
The quality they have achieved has allowed them to open up to new markets. Their oil travels to Germany, England, Scandinavia, Singapore and Japan, since most of their customers, they confess, are foreigners, as are the curious who enjoy their guided tours. "In them we explain the different varieties of olives, how the oil production method is, we organize a tasting and a total 0 KM snack, with wine and vegetable coca from Algaida".
Far from idealizing the field, and in an exercise of deep respect for it, in Treurer they work with a vision of the future but with their feet on the ground because "the smaller you are, the more you control. You know each olive tree and this allows you to work better". This philosophy absolutely fits with what we see as we walk around the estate and discover their new mill. "We study, we try... but we don't want to transform the field. The field is the way it is", they say.
In Treurer they are warm, close, transparent, familiar, and they weigh every decision conscientiously. Also when we ask them about their future. "With Pere -the team's agronomist- we are doing studies to see if we can be ecological or not, but we are clear that the project has to be viable because five families live from it".
