History
The Value of Time Group
Cities are not homelands. It is in the provinces that the character and mystique of a nation are found.
Agustina Bessa-Luís (1922-2019)
History
Time, without beginning or end, grants us the power to create, to leave meaning in History. In an almost mysterious way, people and great deeds arise at specific moments and places, uniquely. Time enriches Humanity and, for those who feel its benefits, is Life’s greatest luxury.
It was Time that placed us in Santa Marinha, Seia, in the Serra da Estrela. That’s where our story began – and our passion for History – in a house dating back to the first half of the 18th century, recently restored to become the Interpretative Centre of the Serra da Estrela Sheep, as a tribute to our origins.
The same Time that placed us there also led us to create the Bread Museum in Seia, in 1996, which opened to the public in 2002. It was the first of our brands and remains one of the country’s most visited museums today. For over 30 years – even before its public opening as a museum – the Bread Museum brand was already present on Portuguese tables, ever since we built the Bread Factory in Seia, one of the region’s most relevant economic agents, still producing daily for the whole country.
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Our first encounter with the historic heart of a city was in Lisbon. It was here that we discovered the light, the history, and the pulse of traditional commerce that helped shape our identity. It was at the Beer Museum that we created the Codfish Cake with Serra da Estrela PDO Cheese, which would later become a brand in 2015, opening its first shop on Rua Augusta and expanding to Lisbon and other cities across the country: Cascais, Óbidos, Aveiro, Gaia, and Porto.
The Casa Portuguesa do Pastel de Bacalhau was born with a mission: to ensure fair remuneration for the shepherds whose hard reality we know so well. We are proud to have created a project that today stands as a benchmark of circular economy and sustainability, providing shepherds with a more dignified life
At the same time, we ventured into the world of canned fish. In 2015, time and the sea led us to the Ria de Aveiro, where we fell in love with Comur, the Murtosa Canning Factory, founded in 1942 and home to a hundred women who work fish by hand with delicate, meticulous care. We were captivated by the nobility of this artisanal craft. We knew the sardine was one of Portugal’s most authentic symbols worldwide and that we held a treasure in our hands.
What we did with the sardine is a metaphor for our history as a people. Less than half a century ago, it was simply a humble, undervalued fish. Remaining faithful to its distinction, we reinvented the concept of canned fish, turning the sardine into a messenger of magic with circus-inspired tins and vibrant, imaginative spaces. Today, there are already 22 stores in Portugal’s main cities and one in New York, and we will not stop here; time and courage will carry us further.
In 2018, we deepened our passion for historic brands when Confeitaria Peixinho, the oldest house of Ovos Moles in Aveiro, dating back to 1856, joined the Group. We preserved the original recipe of Ovos Moles, the pinnacle of Portuguese convent sweets, created by the region’s nuns in a tradition over five centuries old, elevating it to a level of excellence and uniqueness. The following year, we enriched our portfolio with Casa Pereira da Conceição, a specialist tea and coffee house founded in 1933. Keeping its original palace-style furniture, we created collections inspired by the Queens of Portugal and great Portuguese writers to offer the world the finest national flavours and aromas.
A Brasileira do Chiado, which we brought into the Group in 2020, has become, by the strength of its history — and time — the most iconic café in Lisbon. More than a century after its founding, it is more alive than ever, feeding on the creativity and ideas of those who pass through it. It is the emotional home of the digital newspaper Mensagem de Lisboa, born there in 2021 to tell the stories of the city. Also in 2020, we fulfilled a long-standing dream: to have our own farm in the Serra da Estrela, with a flock of 700 sheep and an artisanal cheesemaking facility where we produce Serra da Estrela PDO Cheese.
Increasingly passionate about craftsmanship and the professions at the start of the value chain, we were captivated by the story of Portuguese Filigree. When Joalharia do Carmo joined the Group in 2021, we knew exactly the path we wanted to follow: focusing our offer exclusively on jewellery bearing a punch and certification tag proving its uniqueness, challenging the conventional economic model of the sector and turning it inside out. Success led us to open new stores in Lisbon, Porto, Óbidos, Coimbra and Ponta Delgada, where the stage belongs to the artisans.
That same year, we coloured Lisbon with another national treasure: Figurado de Barcelos, the purest and most genuine Minho tradition, whose popular expression finds its peak in the work of master potters.
In 2022, the most transversal of all our projects came to life: the Factory of Dreams, our training academy, the pinnacle of our belief in humanity. Located in Cascais, it permanently welcomes our people, training them in the art of hospitality, ensuring that those who visit us leave with the best experience and fondest memories.
Time and courage made us cross the Atlantic in 2023, heading to the centre of the world to fulfil another dream: to plant a flag on American soil. We opened our first store outside Portugal in Times Square, New York, under the banner The Fantastic World of the Portuguese Sardine. There, we built an emotional embassy of Portugal, widely praised by the American press and people of all nationalities.
In 2025, Pérola do Bolhão, a specialised grocery store that opened its doors in 1917, joined the Group, strengthening our portfolio of historic brands. A symbol of the city of Porto, it is a vibrant window to the past and a must-visit stop for those seeking – and finding there – the soul of the city.
Rua das Flores in Porto, opening in September 2025, marks a new and vibrant chapter of our story – a space where ancestral crafts, social economy, and authenticity take centre stage. This project is the ultimate expression of who we are: a living tribute to artisanal knowledge, the preservation of traditions, and respect for time. Here, artisans and enchedeiras work live. Embroiderers transform wool from Serra da Estrela sheep into Arraiolos rugs – a centuries-old Portuguese embroidery art – and Serra da Estrela cheese receives the recognition it deserves for its cultural and economic value. Filigree certification authorities have a permanent presence, and exhibitions and interactive workshops invite visitors to uncover the stories behind each craft. Rua das Flores reinforces our mission to give visibility back to Portugal’s traditional crafts as they truly are, creating a cultural experience that moves, educates, and transforms history into living heritage.
From the heart of our world in the village of Santa Marinha, we travelled to the busiest centre of the world, Times Square, New York. Fortunately, time invariably brings us back home, giving meaning to what makes it so precious: its malleability and the ability to shape it as we wish, wherever and whenever we want. Recognising its value, there are no limits to what we can achieve.
Timeline
2025
2025
2024
2024
Awards and distinctions
The Value of Time Group
Medal of Tourism Merit to Antonio Quaresma
Portuguese Government
2025
The Value of Time Group
António Quaresma Merit Award
UACS – Union of Trade and Services Associations
2025
Mensagem de Lisboa
Best Local European Newspaper Award
AMIC Awards of Catalonia
2025
The Fantastic World of the Portuguese Sardine
Top 5 Most Relevant Brands in the Retail Category
Emotional Reputation Study of Brands in Portugal – Repscore
2025
Mensagem de Lisboa
Proximity Cyberjournalism Award
Cyberjournalism Observatory
2024
Mensagem de Lisboa
Journalistic Products and Projects Award
INN Awards
2024
Museu do Pão
Sustainable Project Award
TNews
2024
The Fantastic World of the Portuguese Sardine
Top 5 Most Relevant Brands in the Retail Category
Emotional Reputation Study of Brands in Portugal – Repscore
2024
The Value of Time Group
António Quaresma Merit Award
UACS – Union of Trade and Services Associations
2023
More Awards
Mensagem de Lisboa
Innovative Media Project Award
Portuguese Press Association
2023
Brasileira do Chiado
Establishment with History Award
AHRESP – Portuguese Hotel, Restaurant and Similars Association
2023
Mensagem de Lisboa
Media of the Year Award
Sapo
2023
The Fantastic World of the Portuguese Sardine
Creative Brand Award
TNews
2023
Casa Portuguesa do Pastel de Bacalhau
Hospitality Award (Vila Nova de Gaia store)
Euroshop Retail Awards
2023
Mensagem de Lisboa
Collaborative Journalism Awards with the Creole Journalism project and Proximity and Product/Journalistic Project Journalism
Media Innovation, Obi.Media Media Innovation Observatory, and ICNOVA FCSH – NOVA Communication Institute
2023
The Fantastic World of the Portuguese Sardine
Most Relevant Brand in the Retail Category
Repscore Study of Brands' Emotional Reputation in Portugal
2023
Bread Museum
Top 5 most relevant brands in the Arts and Culture category
Emotional Reputation Study of brands in Portugal – Repscore
2023
Joalharia do Carmo
Showcase Award
Meios e Publicidade
2022
Joalharia do Carmo
Highly Commended Award
Creative Retail Awards
2022
Comur
Judges’ Choice Award (Coimbra store)
Creative Retail Awards
2022
Museu da Cerveja
Travel & Hospitality Awards
European Travel Awards
2022
Casa Portuguesa do Pastel de Bacalhau
Travel & Hospitality Awards
European Travel Awards
2022
The Fantastic World of the Portuguese Sardine
Design Award (Sardine Roe Box)
Papies
2022
The Value of Time Group
Career Award, António Quaresma
AHRESP – Portuguese Hotel, Restaurant and Similars Association
2022
Bread Museum
Brand with the highest growth in the first half of the year in the Arts and Culture category
Emotional Reputation Study of Brands in Portugal – Repscore
2022
The Fantastic World of the Portuguese Sardine
Global Brands and Retail Experts
Ebeltoft Guide
2019
The Value of Time Group
Tourism Merit Medal, Antonio Quaresma
Madeira Tourism
2018
The Fantastic World of the Portuguese Sardine
Concept/Brand Award
AHRESP – Portuguese Hotel, Restaurant and Similar Association
2017
The Fantastic World of the Portuguese Sardine
New Concepts – The best in commerce and services
Mercury Award
2017
The Value of Time Group
Person of the Year, Antonio Quaresma
Mercury Award
2017
A Brasileira do Chiado
Silver Medal for Tourism Merit
Portuguese Tourism
2006
A Brasileira do Chiado
Medal of Tourism Merit
State Secretariat of Tourism
2006
Museu do Pão
Medal of Merit
AHRESP – Portuguese Hotel, Restaurant and Similars Association
2005