Latest news with #TimeOutCascais
Time Out
an hour ago
- Business
- Time Out
É o que é – honest, homemade meals, ready to go, no fuss, no frills
We've lost count of how many stories start with "Once upon a time, during the pandemic...". In this one, the protagonists are Rita Castelo Branco and Pedro Loureiro, each with their own plan when the world turned upside down – and who decided to team up. She wanted to cook and sell crêpes and croquettes; he was looking for a factory to produce fresh pasta. Since 2020, they've been making artisanal frozen meals, now available to the public at their shop in Aldeia de Juso, Cascais. "During lockdown, people started asking us for ready meals and, surprisingly, our side hustles ended up becoming the main business", Rita tells Time Out Cascais. They called the brand É o que é – Portuguese for 'It is what it is' – because, as Pedro proudly explains, "the product speaks for itself. No colourings, no preservatives, no gimmicks". There are crêpes, croquettes and fresh pasta, yes – but that's just the beginning. "At this point we've got nearly 400 different items – well over 300 dishes", he adds. Soups and veloutés, meat, fish and vegetarian dishes, individual, XL and XXL pies, baked pastas, fresh pastas, comfort food, mini desserts and cakes by the slice – these are just some of the categories on the extensive menu, which includes standout specialities like velvety carrot soup, chilli con carne, prawn açorda, enoki mushrooms with coriander, spinach, mushroom, walnut and caramelised onion pies, codfish lasagne, linguini nero, hake and cockle crêpes, broad beans with pork belly, mini almond tarts and raspberry blattertorte. "It's traditional food, without being obvious", says Rita. "We have to adapt to modern palates and realities – we can't stay stuck on recipes from 20 years ago". Pedro also highlights their ongoing focus on sustainability. "We take it seriously: seasonal produce, everything made with care and consistency". The factory, with the capacity to produce up to 500 kilos of food a day, was initially designed with the HORECA sector in mind (hotels, restaurants and cafés). But the news quickly travelled from person to person, and É o que é dishes started landing on dining tables all over the country. The shop itself was meant to be a showroom for resellers – and yet it's now where regular customers can discover, in person, the full range created by Rita, who came from a background in catering and restaurants, but also from the arts – hence the stylish branding. "I have that eye", she explains. "We wanted grandma's flavour, but not grandma's image". Inside the shop, customers will find around 200 frozen options – from starters to desserts. "I can even help build a menu if someone comes in saying they're hosting dinner at home", Rita promises. For these kinds of customers – and for those still ordering online – É o que é has launched a new Loyalty Club, À la Carte, offering discounts, early access to new dishes and free home delivery. Looking ahead, don't expect this Cascais duo to start dreaming of opening more shops. "That's exactly what we don't want", says Pedro. "We're much more focused on supporting our resellers across the country". Well... it is what it is.
Time Out
2 days ago
- Entertainment
- Time Out
The ultimate guide to summer in Cascais is here
Oops! We did it again. A brand new Time Out Cascais magazine to guide you through town. This time, we've focused exclusively on the hot, hot, hot calendar for the equally sizzling summer months. We're talking about traditional fairs, international events, competitions, concerts, festivals and so, so much food. Whether you're living here or planning a trip, it's best to keep your days open – there's no shortage of fun plans to keep you busy. Between all the events, be sure to leave some time to enjoy some of the best beaches in the country, right here in Cascais. From golden sand to the bluest of seas, there's always a good table waiting to fill you up between a dip or two in the ocean. And, speaking of food, we've rounded up some of the new places in town as well as the ultimate Eat List for your summer holiday. Time Out Cascais Summer Special is now available for free at Cascais Visitor Centre. Be sure to get yours – and remember to take home our essential Cascais guide, published earlier this year, with the best of the town all year round. View this post on Instagram A post shared by Time Out Cascais (@timeoutcascais) Cascais Visitor Centre. Praça 5 de Outubro, 2750-320 Cascais. Open daily, 9am–7pm. Latest from Cascais on Time Out Did you know that Manteigaria's famous pastéis de nata are finally landing in Cascais? Or that there's a brand new Santini with ice cream sangrias and cocktails ready to sweeten your summer? If you're planning a perfect evening, take note: there are fado and wine nights under the stars, promising unforgettable memories. And if you'd rather soak up the sun by the sea, the Azarujinha Beach Bar has been revamped with a fresh menu and even more space to unwind.
Time Out
12-06-2025
- Business
- Time Out
From Cascais to the world: for over 30 years, Bana has been a cornerstone of skate and surf culture
It's been over 30 years since one of Portugal's leading skate and surf brands opened its doors in one corner of the Cascais municipality. Bana took its first steps back in 1992 in Sassoeiros (Carcavelos) – in the very same spot it still calls home, though much bigger now after all these years. Deeply connected to the local community, you'll spot Bana's iconic red circle with white graffiti-style lettering at international skate contests, in rap music videos, at São Paulo Fashion Week, or even on Netflix – like in the first season of Rabo de Peixe. It's become a national icon, with its legacy growing stronger every day. Very soon, Bana's founder José Marques reveals, the brand will relaunch its website and celebrate with an in-store event featuring a DJ set and a fresh mural painted on the façade. Until then, here's the story behind the brand. Now 59, José Marques started surfing at Carcavelos Beach in the early 1980s, during his teenage years. 'Bana was my nickname among the beach crowd – I never imagined it would become the name of a shop or a brand,' he tells Time Out Cascais. Born and raised in Sassoeiros, José Marques worked in sales and distribution after completing his military service. He even dabbled in the record market before, around the age of 24, moving into international surf and skate brands. As a salesman, José acted as a link between the brands and the few stores dedicated to these products in Portugal at the time. 'That helped me a lot because, working in the industry, I knew the suppliers and the market. Then, out of the blue, my dad gave me a tiny space – just 18 square metres – that used to be part of his café. It was just a small square. He told me that if I wanted, I had a little spot to sell directly to the public. And that's what I did.' So, Bana opened in 1992 as a small multi-brand surf and skate shop when Sassoeiros was pretty much 'a village.' 'People knew about Carcavelos, but Sassoeiros? They didn't even know it existed. Over the years it grew, now there are more housing developments, and luckily the secondary schools also opened up around here.' Back then, the main competition came from Marmota store in Carcavelos and Windsurf Guincho, later acquired by Ericeira Surf Shop, also founded in the '90s. 'At the start, as my dad used to say, surfing was a sport for slackers,' José 'Bana' Marques laughs. 'Now surfers have to be wealthy, with big vans and SUVs. Back then, everything was second-hand, old gear.' Bana set itself apart from the very beginning by putting a strong focus on skate gear – a sport closely linked to surf culture but often given less space and visibility in shops. 'You'd walk into a store and if they had one or two skateboards, that was considered good.' Alongside that, José had the vision to make Bana a local hub for the thriving urban culture along the Cascais coast. Bana was, for example, one of the first shops in Portugal to sell graffiti spray cans – and considering that this art form in Portugal is so closely tied to Carcavelos, where a bunch of teenagers began painting in the late '80s before becoming some of the most influential names on the national scene, the stage was set for the brand's legacy to endure with strong community ties. They also stocked pieces from streetwear brands that weren't commonly found in Portuguese shops. 'While everyone else was going right, I went a bit more left. Maybe that's what helped me stick it out all these years, because if I'd just followed the crowd, I'd be just another shop.' The Bana brand appeared shortly after the shop opened. To spread the name, José Marques started creating T-shirts, caps, and beanies featuring the brand's logos. At first, they had a points system – if a customer spent over a certain amount, they'd get a Bana T-shirt or cap as a gift. Eventually, demand grew to the point where they simply began selling the pieces like any other brand – alongside items from major global labels. Bana's gear started to spread far and wide as José Marques sponsored skaters, surfers, and musicians over the years – a method he still uses today that has brought great visibility and success to the project. Portuguese skater Gustavo Ribeiro, one of the best in the world right now, is 24. He and his twin brother Gabriel were sponsored by Bana from the age of seven. In music, José has always backed local talent connected to urban culture, from hip hop to punk rock. Plutonio, Kappa Jotta, and Tara Perdida are some of the artists who have been supported by the brand. 'I've really focused on locals, because it helps people connect with the area. Bana's almost a symbol of the Linha.' Over the years, the shop expanded and now occupies 150 square metres. 'Now I'm starting to see the children of the original customers. I'm waiting for the grandkids,' José Marques says. A brand that's also a school – and Bana's future Throughout the 2000s, surf and skate fashion exploded everywhere. Even those who never picked up a board or hit the waves or halfpipes were rocking clothes from brands that became globally popular. 'Surf brands, in particular, started to get really commercial, selling to everyone – it became mainstream. I've always seen these sports as a niche… And if they'd stayed niche, they'd have stayed strong. But then they wanted to sell a lot, opened more and more stores, started selling in general sports shops, and the niche lost its appeal because everyone looked the same – it became banal. Many of those surf brands are bankrupt today. I've distanced myself from surf and focused more on skate, although I still sponsor a few surfers.' Bana's bet on skateboarding has been strong, sponsoring the Liga Pro Skate, the national championship, as well as a number of athletes competing internationally. 'We always win something, we always bring home a trophy or two.' On top of that, every year they run skateboarding classes as part of the Carcavelos festival programme, in partnership with the local parish council. They also have a skate school with regular lessons at Parque das Gerações in São João do Estoril and at the skatepark in Bairro da Torre, Cascais. The classes and Bana Skate School are managed by skater Pedro Roseiro, now in his 30s, who was sponsored by the brand from the age of 14. They've also partnered with private schools Oeiras International School and International Sharing School, just over the border in neighbouring Oeiras, where they teach kids from four years old. 'At Sharing, we have around 60 pupils, alongside swimming and other sports. At Oeiras International School, the lessons are part of the official curriculum, as part of PE.' The athletes from the school who compete represent the Cascais Skateboarding Club, Bana's skate club, the only one in the Lisbon district. As for the future and what's left to do, José says the only thing he hasn't tried yet with Bana is footwear. 'That's the only clothing item I've never done. It could be interesting, even as a collaboration with another brand. I've done collaborative T-shirts with Quiksilver and Volcom before.' Her pieces have travelled the world. At the latest São Paulo Fashion Week, fado singer Bia Caboz appeared wearing Bana jeans. Even Madonna herself, during the years she lived in Portugal before the pandemic, dropped by the famous Sassoeiros store. 'I didn't even recognise her — she came in looking for a few things, and I just treated her like any other customer. It was the mother of a kid who was there who said to me: 'That's Madonna!'' Expanding the brand with more stores has long been a dream, but it has proven difficult over the years, especially with recent rent hikes. 'It would be wonderful to have a shop in central Lisbon, in Porto, or even over at Parque das Gerações. Malls have always demanded high rents, too. We've grown step by step and I've done a lot with very little.' A new website is promised soon.
Time Out
30-04-2025
- Entertainment
- Time Out
At the Casa do Marquês setups at the Millennium Estoril Open: Over 12,000 meals will be served here
The Millennium Estoril Open is back this Saturday, April 26th, and runs until May 4th, at the Estoril Tennis Club. Over the years, Portugal's biggest tennis tournament – with significant international relevance – has also become one of the main social events in the Cascais region, attracting plenty of locals. Tickets are available online, with prices varying depending on the day and the seats selected for watching the matches. For 10 years, the catering for the VIP area of the Millennium Estoril Open has been provided by Casa do Marquês, one of the largest national companies in this field. They are the ones serving lunch and dinner at the Slice Restaurant, as well as preparing meals for the players, technical teams, and referees. Time Out Cascais joined the Casa do Marquês team on the first morning of setup at the Estoril Tennis Club. Dozens of workers are bustling between the various technical areas. Some are carrying cables and other equipment to set up the electrical installations; others are putting the finishing touches on decorative pieces that will be spread throughout the spaces; and there are still those organizing the kitchen areas that are built over the course of a week, moving boxes of dishes and cutlery from one place to another. The Estoril Tennis Club is completely transformed by Casa do Marquês, who set up temporary structures to create an operational technical area capable of serving over 12,000 meals throughout the event. When we visited, they were still waiting for a series of trucks to deliver equipment. The food is prepared in the company's central kitchen, an industrial space in Prior Velho, and finished off at Estoril. In total, around 250 people are allocated to the event, including 45 chefs. While figures for this year are not yet available, in 2024 Casa do Marquês provided a total of 57,600 cutlery sets, 38,500 plates, 28,800 glasses, and 9,600 napkins. Approximately 600 kilograms of seafood, over 900 kilograms of fish, and more than a tonne of meat were prepared, alongside 1,100 pizzas and nearly 10,000 desserts. This year's theme is "Ode to Food" – which means much of the décor is made from food. The tables feature photographs of ingredients, there are lampshades crafted from dehydrated oranges or bay leaves, centrepieces with fruits and vegetables, planters with aromatic herbs, chairs upholstered with cinnamon sticks, and decorative pieces like a bicycle covered in popcorn. 'The creative freedom we have is one of the things I enjoy most when working on the Estoril Open,' says Florbela Bem, the managing director of Casa do Marquês. 'The big challenge is always managing to surprise people.' This year, the record for the number of invited chefs will be broken, with chefs joining the Casa do Marquês team throughout the days of the Millennium Estoril Open. The culinary team is led by executive chef Humberto Santos. Miguel Laffan, Kiko Martins, Julien Montbant, Tiago Penão, Nelson Soares, Gil Fernandes, Lucas Azevedo, Miguel Nunes, and Sebastião Coutinho are the guest chefs who will be taking part in the event over the coming days. There will be live cooking sessions and some invited restaurants, including Casa das Velhas from Vila Nova de Cerveira. As always, the pizzas will be handled by Fernando Almeida, who comes all the way from Ponte da Barca every year. Casa do Marquês acquired the EPUR restaurant, from Michelin-starred chef Vincent Farges, at the end of last year. The chef will be present every day, at all meals, overseeing the catering service, as well as having his own corner in the buffet line at Slice Restaurant. Among the novelties of this edition is an area for 'fine charcuterie and special cheeses,' a world cuisine section, another dedicated to freshly made pasta live, and a caviar bar. The dishes change daily, but there are some classic Portuguese foods that never leave the event, like açorda and cataplana. Another true institution of Casa do Marquês at the Millennium Estoril Open is the exclusive ice cream they serve every year – and that you can't taste anywhere else. Shaped like a tennis ball, it's made from citrus fruits and topped with a crumble, evoking the clay courts. 'It's the flavour that sells the most and the only one that remains constant.' All leftovers, they assure us, are donated to Refood, which distributes them to those in need or organisations working with vulnerable populations. Last year, Casa do Marquês donated 1143 meals to Refood during the Millennium Estoril Open. As for the food for the players, they say athletes prefer simple, unpretentious dishes. 'White rice is the most popular,' explains a member of the team responsible for that area. 'Bananas also disappear quickly.' There's a buffet, but they also make adjustments upon request, should any players have special dietary requirements. 'We leave them to their own devices, but we do make sure to prepare birthday cakes when someone celebrates their birthday.'
