The Govern has awarded 25 prizes to Catalan commercial establishments that have reached a century of history, and five of them are businesses in the city of Barcelona. Specifically, the Mercat de Sants, the Perelló haberdashery, the Forn Padró, the Farmàcia Catalunya, and the Boutique del Descans mattress store have obtained the National Centenary Commercial Establishment Award.
The objective of this distinction from the Generalitat is to recognize active establishments and municipal markets that, over more than one hundred years, have offered a quality and personalized service to their customers, adapting to changes in purchasing needs.
Mercat de Sants
One of the awarded businesses has been the Mercat de Sants. Inaugurated in 1913 to provide food to an increasingly numerous population in this Barcelona neighborhood, it is one of the most emblematic modernist markets in the city.
It was built on land formerly known as Hort Nou and was designed by the municipal architect Pere Falqués, author of a large number of modernist works and buildings. This new covered market soon became the center of commercial and social life in the area. The building, made of exposed brick and with three bodies, is an almost perfect example of a type of architecture rooted in the early 20th-century markets of the city of Barcelona.
Protected as a cultural asset of local interest in the Catalog of architectural and historical-artistic heritage of Barcelona, the passage of years made a renovation necessary in 2009. The remodeling maintained the essence of the original building and served to completely modernize the interior, turning the market into a model of energy efficiency. For example, a climate control system based on the use of phreatic water and lighting with presence sensors stand out.
La Merceria Perelló
La Merceria Perelló was founded in 1923 in the Sant Andreu neighborhood. From its beginnings, it has been a retail store for haberdashery products, crafts, and packaging. The three generations that have managed the establishment have focused their efforts on dispelling the image of an anachronistic and stale business. In fact, this store has, over time, renovated its decoration and product offering, adapting to new trends and customer demands.
Additionally, it has had a website since 2002. It has opted for the computerization of sales and management of the establishment and, as a pilot project, it has launched specific software to computerize haberdasheries in Spain.
The Barcelona establishment IDONI-Bon Cor has been awarded the National Prize for the Most Sustainable CommerceCurrently, its specialties are patchwork, socks, stockings, and all classic haberdashery.They offer label printing, embroidery, stamping, button covering, and snap button placement services, among others. They also teach how to make pillow lace,patchwork, cross-stitch,petit point, embroidered with ribbons, crochet hook...
Forn Padró
This bakery on Pere d'Artés street has existed since 1911, according to records from the time. Forn Padró is a fifth-generation business, currently managed by Marc Padró i Roura. For twenty years, he has carefully made bread, in a trade that his great-great-grandfather Josep started 119 years ago.
At Forn Padró, bread is made in an artisanal and traditional way, as previous generations did, but incorporating current materials, techniques, and advances.
Farmàcia Catalunya
In 1894, Bartolomé Botta and his son-in-law Joan Miquel Baltà opened a pharmacy on Rambla Catalunya street 21. It was Farmàcia Botta i Baltà, currently known as Farmàcia Catalunya and located at Rambla Catalunya number 1.
It is a pharmacy with a family tradition that preserves part of the original furniture inside, a beautiful fresco on the ceiling, and an important collection of pharmacy utensils and medicine books from the 18th and 19th centuries. The modernist-style interior was designed by architect Eduard Mercader i Sacanella.
Boutique del Descans
Another century-old family business is the mattress store Boutique del Descans. It was founded by Pedro Cervera in 1921 and located at Mallorca street number 167. It is currently located at Muntaner street 140. The establishment has adapted to changes and customer demands, expanding the range of mattresses with the latest technology foams and decorative accessories.
The awards ceremony for the Premis Nacionals d'Establiments Comercials Centenaris took place on November 18 at the Palau de la Generalitat. In total, the Government has awarded 25 distinctions to Catalan businesses or markets, three of them to stores that have exceeded 150 years of history, and another three, with more than 200 years.
IDONI-Bon Cor, Award for the Most Sustainable Business
In addition, the Government presented the four Premis Nacionals de Comerç, and this year's award for the Most Sustainable Business went to IDONI-Bon Cor, which offers healthy, organic, and local products. It is a commercial establishment in Barcelona that embraces the motto Eat healthy, live happy, which reflects its commitment to health, sustainability, and the inclusion of people at social risk in the labor market.