Now we know why all hotels in Lisbon serve tarts for breakfast. The best tarts will gurantee the business – LOL

In 2012 Álvaro Santos Pereira suggested using Portugal’s best pastry to save the country’s economy. Maybe we should do the same in our hotel in Lisbon 🙂 [caption id="attachment_19270" align="aligncenter" width="241"] He laughs best who laugh last. Pereira was laugh of town when he brought in tarts in the financial debate.[/caption]

Former economy minister Álvaro Santos Pereira may have been joking when he suggested using the Pastel de Nata to save the economy when the financial crises hit Portugal.

Since then the Pastel de Nata has stated spreading all over the world. Investments in francise concepts like Nata & Co, Nata Lisboa and similar bakery exports is proving to be profitable, bringing in 191 million euros in 2015. according to the latest reports by market researcher Informa D&B.

At Tings Lisbon will only serve the best. So if the hotel will serve Pastel Nata we will get Centro Ideal de Graça to bring them.

[caption id="attachment_12104" align="aligncenter" width="1651"] Centro Ideal da Graça – CNN found the small Pastry Heaven in Graça only 4 minutes from Tings Lisbon. They make the best Pastel de Nata. We blogged about them here[/caption]  

Portugal’s Unexpectedly Heroic Custard Tarts

The Portuguese have twice turned to the humble pastry to solve economic problems.

Small, crumbly, with a bright yellow color and a slightly burned top, Portugal’s rustic pastel de nata—custard tart—is often near the top of foodies’ travel guides. But the flaky pastry also has a history as its country’s unlikely savior.

In the years following the international financial crisis of 2008, the Portuguese government was desperate to repay billions of euros of foreign debt.  Years of bad investments and fraud-like negotiations had left the country’s banks highly indebted to Spain and Germany. As economists brainstormed for solutions, Álvaro Santos Pereira, the former economy minister, hit on a maverick suggestion in 2012: selling the country’s most traditional sweets to save the economy.

“Why isn’t there a well-known Portuguese custard tart franchise yet?” asked Pereira, who had visions of a global chain that would be as popular as the Nando’sPortuguese flame-grilled chicken restaurants that have expanded to 16 countries

[caption id="attachment_19217" align="aligncenter" width="800"] Simple ingredients – pretty much just sugar, flour, eggs and butter.[/caption]

It was headline heaven for journalists. The small, bright yellow pastry with a slightly burned top, also known as  the Pastel de Pata, was somehow expected to carry the country on its flaky shoulders.

Read Karla Pequenino’s super story in Atlas Obsqura yesterday

 

Not only are Pastel de Nata some of the best things you can eat. They are super good business and role model for the kind of entrepreneurship that can’t change Portugal’s economy.

After reading the fantastic story in Atlas Obscura we’ll always remember how important these small delicacies are to the Portuguese economy – and who knows… our’s.

Or even better – Danish Pastry – it might as well be the Danish Minister of Finance’ secret weapon.

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