The Councilor for Economic Development of the Cabildo de Gran Canaria visited the Pérez Gil Mill last Thursday, an establishment with a deep tradition in gofio production, located in the municipality of Santa Lucía de Tirajana. The purpose of the visit was to explore new avenues of collaboration within the 'Gran Canaria Me Gusta' program, an initiative by the Cabildo to bring local products closer to consumers and generate visibility and commercialization opportunities for the island's producers.
During her tour, the councilor, accompanied by a representative from the Gran Canaria Chamber of Commerce, was received by Olga Torres, the current manager of the mill, and her family. They represent the third generation leading this family business, which has kept the gofio tradition alive for decades.
We want to continue expanding the network of spaces that support the island's products, not only in commercial or gastronomic environments, but also in places with strong identity value like this mill. Gofio is part of our history and our culture, and supporting those who keep it alive is also a way of protecting who we are.
The Pérez Gil Mill was founded on April 10, 1949, by the married couple José Pérez Gil and Francisca Ramírez Cruz in the El Doctoral neighborhood. Its initial goal was to supply a growing population at a time when gofio was an essential food for many Canarian families. The first installation, located on Juan Rejón street, has been preserved and now functions as the Gofio Museum, an ethnographic resource that showcases traditional practices such as maquila and the artisanal process of making this deeply rooted product in Canarian culture.
Currently, the mill, which moved to its present location in Vecindario in the 1980s, remains fully operational. It maintains an annual production of nearly 100 tons, solidifying its position as the only active mill in the municipality of Santa Lucía de Tirajana and a clear example of generational continuity and the preservation of Canarian tradition. Managed by Olga Torres and her children, the mill is a living memory space that combines productive activity with the transmission of a craft that is an essential part of Canarias' cultural heritage.
