Circular Tourism

Albania

Cal Padrí

SECTION 1: BASIC INFORMATION

SECTION 2: PRACTICE OVERVIEW

  • Short Description of the Practice:

A true testament to local tradition, Cal Padrí is a cornerstone of the Penedès food scene. Nestled in Castellví de la Marca, this family-run establishment highlights the deep connection between food and the land. They manage every step of the process, from raising their own animals and harvesting their garden to processing and distributing their products themselves.

Cal Padrí's commitment to quality and heritage is why they're a featured participant in two key regional initiatives. They are part of the Bienvenidos a Pagès festival, which celebrates the work of Catalan farmers, and a member of the Ruta del Vino del Penedès, an enotourism initiative that promotes the region’s unique culinary and wine culture. Their focus on products like the local Penedès Muscovy duck, a protected "Producte Alimentari del Penedès," ensures every meal is a genuine taste of the region.

  • Implementation Period:
  • Status:

[ ] Planned [ ] Pilot phase [ ] Fully implemented [X] Ongoing and evolving

  • Thematic Areas Addressed:

[X] Farm to Fork / Sustainable Food Systems

[X] Waste Management

[] Resource Efficiency

[ ] Other: ___________

 

  • Describe how the practice aligns with the selected Thematic Areas:

Cal Padrí's model directly embodies Sustainable Food Systems and the Farm to Fork approach, creating a holistic experience rooted in the Penedès region. This family-run restaurant isn't just a place to eat; it's a living example of a self-sufficient food system. By cultivating their own crops, raising livestock, and processing products on-site, Cal Padrí eliminates the need for intermediaries. This "from the garden to the table" philosophy minimises food miles, reduces their carbon footprint, and ensures absolute freshness. Guests enjoy a menu that is a true reflection of the local terroir, including dishes made with ingredients like the Penedès Muscovy duck. The restaurant further strengthens this connection by exclusively featuring Designation of Origin Penedès wines, which support local winemakers and promote the area’s rich viticultural heritage.

  • Explain how this activity fits within the tourism sector:

Cal Padrí offers significant learning value for VET training and curriculum development in the hospitality sector. The practice serves as a practical case study for a circular, farm-to-table business model, where students can learn how to create a sustainable and self-sufficient food system. The enterprise demonstrates the integration of multiple roles—farming, butchery, and restaurant management—into a single, cohesive operation. This model provides a unique opportunity to teach about supply chain efficiency, emphasising the value of having a short supply chain, from the orchard and slaughterhouse directly to the restaurant table. Furthermore, the business showcases how a strong local identity and commitment to heritage, such as featuring Designation of Origin Penedès wines, can be a cornerstone of a brand. It teaches professionals the importance of blending tradition with modern sustainability, proving that quality and love for the land are core business assets.

  • What learning value for VET training, curriculum development or capacity-building of professionals does the practice offer?

The practice of es im-perfect offers significant learning value for VET students and teachers in culinary arts and hospitality. The model can be used as a practical case study for curriculum development, demonstrating how businesses can integrate sustainable sourcing into their operations.

Culinary Arts and Hospitality: a VET class could develop menu plans featuring locally sourced products, demonstrating how to create an innovative offering that integrates ethical products into menus, supporting a new generation of chefs and managers committed to sustainability.

This hands-on approach teaches students that reducing food waste not only helps the environment but it can also attract conscious tourists and improve a business's reputation by aligning its values with those of its customers.

SECTION 3: CHALLENGES AND ALIGNMENT WITH CIRCULAR ECONOMY PRINCIPLES

  • What challenges or barriers were addressed?

[ ] Waste management and disposal

[ ] Energy/resource use

[ ] Infrastructure limitations

[X] Seasonality

[ ] Skills and capacity gaps

[ ] Low awareness of CE

[ ] Behavioural resistance

[] Financial or funding constraints

[X] Other: ________________________________

  • How were these challenges overcome?

Cal Padrí overcame circular economy challenges, particularly supply chain reliance and seasonality, through a self-sufficient model. Instead of relying on external suppliers, they control their entire production chain—from farm to table. They address seasonality by adapting their menu to what their land produces. The restaurant's "farm-to-fork" philosophy means dishes change with the harvest, using vegetables, fruits, and herbs grown on their property. This approach not only ensures fresh ingredients but also significantly reduces food waste. Furthermore, Cal Padrí's in-house poultry farming and on-site "Km 0" slaughterhouse for products like the Penedès Muscovy duck eliminate the need for middlemen. This allows for full traceability and quality control, shortening the supply chain and supporting a truly local, closed-loop system.

  • Which circular economy strategies does this practice address?

[X] Waste reduction / reuse / recycling

[ ] Renewable energy / energy efficiency

[ ] Water conservation

[X] Circular product/service design

[X] Sustainable food systems / short food chains

[ ] Eco-certifications or green standards

[ ] Repair, refurbishment, or reuse of infrastructure/furnishings

[ ] Digital tools for circularity or sustainability

  • Describe why this practice can be considered as a ‘best practice’ and how it contributes to one or more circular economy principles:

Cal Padrí exemplifies circular economy principles by closing resource loops and prioritising sustainable local systems. Its hyper-localised food chain eliminates the need for industrial agriculture, reducing carbon emissions and preserving biodiversity. By growing and harvesting ingredients on-site (e.g., vegetables, duck, wine), the restaurant avoids overproduction, packaging, and transport waste, key tenets of circularity. Additionally, Cal Padrí strengthens the local economy by sourcing exclusively from its own land and nearby vineyards (Designation of origin Penedès), creating a resilient, closed-loop system. While not fully zero-waste, its model inherently minimises waste through direct production-consumption linkages.

  • Describe why this practice can be considered as innovative. What new, creative or underused approach brings added value to circular tourism development?

Cal Padrí's model is innovative in circular tourism by merging ancestral farming with modern sustainability, creating a closed-loop gastronomic ecosystem. Unlike typical farm-to-table concepts, it controls every step—from growing organic produce and heritage-breed ducks to serving hyper-local dishes—eliminating supply chain waste. Its "farm-to-table" philosophy adapts daily to seasonal harvests, reducing food waste while reviving endangered agro-biodiversity like l’ànec Mut del Penedès. By anchoring tourism in rural regeneration, it proves circularity can be both culturally rich and economically viable, offering a replicable blueprint for sustainable hospitality rooted in place-specific resilience.

SECTION 4: COLLABORATION

  • Describe any collaboration that were involved in the development of this practice? this practice involve local authorities or other groups?

Cal Padrí's practice was developed through strong collaborations with local initiatives and stakeholders. The restaurant is a key participant in the Bienvenidos a Pagès festival, which promotes the work of Catalan farmers by opening their farms to visitors. This partnership highlights their commitment to celebrating the heritage of rural life and connecting consumers directly to food producers. Additionally, Cal Padrí is a member of the Ruta del Vino del Penedès, an enotourism initiative. This collaboration strengthens the regional value chain by exclusively featuring Designation of Origin Penedès wines, thereby supporting local vineyards. By sourcing additional ingredients from neighbouring farms and promoting hyper-local tourism, Cal Padrí has fostered an ecosystem of km0 producers that collectively strengthen the Alt Penedès region's sustainable food system. These collaborations demonstrate how circular economy practices can thrive when rooted in community networks and local expertise, though opportunities remain to expand partnerships with vocational schools or waste management organisations for greater systemic impact.

SECTION 5: RESULTS AND REPLICABILITY

  • What measurable results or outcomes were achieved?

Cal Padrí's vertically integrated and self-sufficient model has yielded several measurable results:

  • Cal Padrí plants over 25 kilograms of potatoes annually to ensure their own supply throughout the year. They also collect more than 80 kilograms of different types of tomatoes. These figures demonstrate their significant self-sufficiency in fresh produce.
  • The family began raising the Penedès duck in the 1980s, and they are the second generation of poultry farmers continuing this tradition. The restaurant itself, transformed from the old poultry breeding facility, has been operating since 2007. The current management represents the third generation of the Olivella family. This long-standing operation and generational transfer illustrate the sustained success and resilience of their model.

 

  • Why is this practice relevant to the Albanian tourism context?

The Cal Padrí model is highly relevant to the Albanian tourism context due to its successful, self-sufficient, closed-loop operation. In rural areas where supply chains can be underdeveloped, the practice demonstrates that a business can achieve operational independence by integrating farming, on-site processing, and a restaurant into a single enterprise.

  • What is the practice’s potential for further expansion? How can it be applied or adapted to other Albanian tourism destinations or businesses?

Cal Padrí`s model is relevant for Albania's tourism sector, especially in rural areas. Albanian businesses can adapt this approach by creating their own hyper-local versions, replacing products like Penedès duck with local Albanian ones, such as Korçan lamb, Berat wines, or Logara chestnuts. This keeps the same farm-to-table philosophy.

The model can be scaled for businesses of different sizes, from small guesthouses with seasonal "harvest menus" to larger centres with their own production systems. This approach helps solve challenges in Albania like seasonality, rural depopulation (by creating jobs), and infrastructure limitations (by using self-sufficient operations). To implement this, farmers, tourism providers, and local officials must work together to create short supply chains and promote these authentic experiences to tourists.

  • What advice would you give others looking to implement a similar initiative?

For small farms with limited infrastructure looking to implement a similar initiative, Cal Padrí’s model can be adapted by focusing on a networked, collaborative approach instead of full vertical integration. Instead of building a restaurant, a small farm can offer on-site agritourism experiences such as farm tours, tasting events, or workshops on farming and cooking. This allows them to connect with consumers directly and build a personal brand. Rather than owning a slaughterhouse or processing facility, they should form local partnerships.