If you read the news about Frutality opening a branch in Barcelona: fruit in offices with its own team and sustainable service, you will realize that we are not a company that stands still, in general.

When we grow, we adjust the structure. When the pace changes, so do we.

And it was the Madrid branch’s turn to make a move.

Mercamadrid doesn’t usually give second chances

Warehouses at Mercamadrid are not available every day. It’s one of those places where everyone wants to be… and there’s almost never any space.

So when the opportunity arose, there was no hesitation. After a few weeks of moving, Sergio (our CEO) gathered us together to tell us As Sergio said at the time:

“It was almost a miracle. These things don’t happen twice. And if we want to continue growing well, this was the moment.”

More than 1,000 m² to do even better what we were already doing well

The change is not just about location. It’s about capacity, organization, and efficiency. The new facilities allow us to work with a much more solid structure:

• A 600 m² cold storage room, with an average stock rotation of 1.7 days. More freshness. More control.
• A ripening room to ensure the product is at its optimum.
• Spacious order preparation room, with more space and better workflow.
• New loading areas, which have radically optimized the preparation of delivery trucks.

One of the things our customers have told us most is that our fruit is nothing like supermarket fruit and that we have always been the most efficient.

With the extra space, organization is much clearer, loading goods is faster, routes are better prepared, and the team works more comfortably and efficiently.

It may not seem like a revolution from the outside. But from the inside, it is.

5 a.m. also has its story

As with all changes, there were little moments that made us smile; after notifying everyone of the move, more than a few suppliers showed up at the old warehouse at 5 a.m. out of pure habit.

Habits die hard…

That’s why we’ve been improving healthy habits in companies for so many years, offering fruit with a professional, sustainable, and friendly service.

And we’re ready to keep doing it.

Today we had the privilege of visiting the impressive La Rasa estate, home to the largest table apple plantation in the world.

This estate, located in the province of Soria, has 2.3 million apple trees, which produce 36 million kilos of apples per year.

Five varieties of apples are grown on this spectacular plantation: Golden, Gala, Envy, Evelina, and Verdedoncella. Of these varieties, the Envy apple undoubtedly stands out above all others thanks to its firmness, juiciness, and above all, its sweetness.

This visit has allowed us to see firsthand the exceptional quality and care that goes into the apples we include in our range, which is so important to Frutality.

Equally important to us is the proximity of the fruit we deliver to our customers’ offices. This farm is located just 180 km from the center of Madrid, so it is not only a national product, but also a local one.

At Frutality, we are very proud to check the quality of our fruit on a daily basis, something that undoubtedly characterizes and distinguishes us.

This is not the first time that Frutality has collaborated with the organization, whose goal is to finance and promote research projects for the treatment and cure of cancer.

This time, it is doing so by supporting invisible heroes who, through their participation, enable Cris contra el cáncer to continue its important research work.

Next Saturday, September 28, 2024, the “Hay que correr” race will be held, Cris‘s second race aimed at raising funds for childhood cancer research.

Frutality will donate fruit to the runners in this charity race, in which the winner is not the one who runs the fastest, but the one who raises the most money.

With this collaboration, we want to encourage and empower all participants in this charity race, which can make a big difference in the fight against childhood cancer.

For more information about the race, click here.

You have probably heard a lot about emotional intelligence and how important it is for dealing with many situations more efficiently, hence its growing relevance in the workplace.

What is emotional intelligence?

It is the ability that allows us to take control of our emotional impulses, understand the deepest feelings of those around us, manage our relationships kindly, and, most complicated of all, deal with anger at the right time, with the right person, to the right degree, and in the right way.

People with high emotional intelligence are able to identify their emotions, manage them, and reflect on their thoughts before reacting, so as not to be misled by harmful feelings such as anger, frustration, and guilt. In addition to their own emotions, they are able to interpret the emotions of others, putting themselves in other people’s shoes through empathy.

On the contrary, people with low emotional intelligence tend to bottle up their feelings, ignoring their emotions until they explode, which can lead to high levels of stress
, anxiety, and burnout.

Therefore, emotional intelligence is really useful at work
, as these individuals tend to be higher-performing employees, contribute to a good atmosphere, enjoy their day-to-day work, and know how to keep negative emotions under control, as well as better understand the needs and behaviors of their coworkers, customers, or suppliers, making them more competent when it comes to processing information.

A leader with developed emotional intelligence is capable of achieving better results for the company, as they understand and leverage the talent of their team on an individual basis, make better decisions, are capable of motivating themselves and others, and ultimately carry out better strategic and personnel management.

 How can emotional intelligence be applied correctly at work?

• Detect the emotions behind our actions, as this will make it easier to understand how they affect us and how they affect our work.
• Learn to recognize each emotion and be able to name them.
• Isolate emotions and focus on what we really feel.
• Do not repress emotions. Fear, sadness, anger, and joy give us the information we need to adapt to each situation and react correctly in the workplace or in our personal lives.
• Body language. It gives us a lot of information about ourselves and our coworkers.
• We should not just judge the reactions of our coworkers, but try to figure out the emotions behind them
• Express how we feel assertively. Whether in a work meeting or a performance review, we should try to express ourselves clearly, using the first person when speaking so as not to accuse or talk about others, and calmly expressing what we need.

Of course, there are factors that can make us more upset, so if we notice that we are more nervous or that it is going to be a busy day at the office, we should avoid caffeinated drinks. Getting enough sleep reduces our stress and therefore irritability, as does exercise, which makes us feel better and reduces anxiety. And last but not least, diet. A healthy, varied diet full of fruit will undoubtedly make us feel much better and more full of positive energy. Without a doubt, eating fruit at the office mid-morning is a good way to feel better and take a few minutes to reflect and disconnect.

At Frutality, we care about people and we care about our planet. We are supportive and respectful in our daily lives and we try to give back some of what we receive through our CSR actions, both to society and to the environment.

In the spring, all of the company’s employees came together to reforest an unused agricultural area, planting one tree for each of our customers. This helped reduce our carbon footprint and repopulate a deforested area that will serve as a home for local animals and stabilize the soil thanks to the roots of the newly planted trees.

Now, taking advantage of International Human Solidarity Day, celebrated on December 20, we will donate 10% of our total turnover for that day. The employees of all our customers and our Facebook followers will be responsible for choosing the organization to which we will donate all the proceeds.

During that same week, from December 16 to 19, a survey will be available on our Facebook page to vote for the preferred option. The results of the vote will be announced on Friday, December 20.

At Frutality, we want to encourage our customers to increase their fruit consumption on that day so that we can donate a larger amount to the chosen organization.

Our commitment is not limited to specific actions. We are always looking for ways to contribute and reduce our environmental impact, which is why we have implemented the following in our way of working and in our daily lives:

• Glass jars for nuts
• Recycled cardboard cups for individual portions of nuts
• Compostable cups for individual portions of peeled and cut fruit
• Waste management in our central warehouses, with separate bins for plastic, organic waste, cardboard, etc.
• Our fruit boxes are reusable and made of wood
• CNG vans

Eating fruit at the office is undoubtedly a good way to help the environment, as it does not require any plastic packaging and is 100% organic waste.

Both the fruit we buy and eat at home and the fruit we serve to companies at the office is completely healthy. However, due to many comments on blogs, social media, YouTube videos, etc., about the wax coating on some fruits such as apples, and the lack of verified information, there has been some controversy. That is why we want to inform you about this issue, so that you know what it is and how it affects us.

What are fruit waxes?

The coating on many fruits, including apples, is a natura
lly occurring
wax that acts as a waterproofing agent to protect the fruit from external aggressions or substances. It acts as a sunscreen, is an important barrier against insects, fungi, and bacteria, and also prevents substances such as moisture, oxygen, and CO₂
from escaping from inside the fruit.

To better preserve the fruit and make it last longer and in better condition, waxes are sometimes added artificially before sale, also making them more attractive for consumption. This technique has been used since the 12th century in China to prolong the preservation of citrus fruits and, since 1950, has been used with other fruits and vegetables in the rest of the world.

Just as the waxes present in apples make them shine, in the case of other waxes present in grapes and plums, for example, they give them a whitish appearance. It all depends on the composition of the waxes and the amount present in each fruit or variety thereof.

Are they safe for health?

Yes
. These waxes are safe for health and suitable for consumption
, and the amount used is very small. This has been determined by expert committees on food safety such as the FAO/WHO Expert Committee on Food Additives and the Scientific Committee on Food of the European Commission. In addition, they have been re-evaluated by the European Food Safety Authority.

We would never bring fruit to the office
that could pose a health risk or contain ingredients that had not passed the relevant quality controls.

Types of waxes used

Here is more information about the waxes used and the fruits on which they can be applied.

• Beeswax (E-901): produced by worker bees. It can be used on citrus fruits, melons, apples, pears, peaches, pineapples, bananas, mangoes, avocados, and pomegranates.
• Candelilla wax (E-902): Obtained from the leaves of the plant of the same name. It can be used on citrus fruits, melons, apples, pears, peaches, and pineapples.
• Carnauba wax (E-903): obtained from the leaves of the plant of the same name and can be used on citrus fruits, melons, apples, pears, peaches, pineapples, pomegranates, mangoes, avocados, and papayas.
• Shellac (E-904): obtained from the resinous secretion of an insect called the lac worm. It can be used on citrus fruits, melons, apples, pears, peaches, pineapples, pomegranates, mangoes, avocados, and papayas.
• Microcrystalline wax (E-905): Product obtained from refined petroleum. It can be used on melons, papayas, mangoes, avocados, and pineapples.
• Montanic acid esters (E-912): This is a saturated fatty acid that forms part of waxes such as beeswax. It may be present in citrus fruits, melons, papayas, mangoes, avocados, and pineapples.
• Oxidized polyethylene wax (E-914): This is a resin produced from the oxidation of polyethylene and can be used in citrus fruits, melon, papaya, mango, avocado, and pineapple.
• Wood rosin glyceride ester (E-445): this is a natural amber-colored resin produced by conifers and can be used in citrus fruits.

Our goal is to look after the health of employees by always bringing the best seasonal fruit to your office.

Emotional salary

is a concept that has gained considerable traction in recent times. What employees receive at the end of the month is no longer as important if the company does not offer other non-financial incentives that make it worthwhile to stay with the company. Times have changed, and in the workplace, one of those changes is the drive among new generations of workers toward a different way of valuing the compensation that a job can bring them.

What is emotional salary?

Emotional salary
refers to all the non-monetary benefits that a company offers its employees in addition to their end-of-month salary. In other words, it means ensuring that the job morally fulfills the employee’s expectations, so that they see a stable future within the company and thus retain talent. The key to the rise of
emotional salary
is that new employees are looking for jobs where they can work to live and not live to work. They value work-life balance
more than financial compensation alone. For this reason, extras and conditions are one of the fundamental keys to retaining talent. But why? We could say that productivity
is no longer based solely on the number of hours an employee dedicates to the company, but on the motivation that the worker has when carrying out their work.

Types of emotional salary

Emotional salary is a fundamental factor in retaining talent. Increasingly, people choose a company to work for based on factors that go far beyond salary. Here are some of the key points:

• Flexible hours Nowadays, it is possible to work an eight-hour day without having a strict start or finish time. Here, what really matters is doing our job without having to spend eight hours in an office.
• Teleworking This is highly valued by the new generations of workers, who are accustomed to using computer tools. It is also an important benefit for parents with children or sick relatives who find it very difficult to balance work and family life.
• Internal promotion Knowing that you can have a career plan within a company and that you will have the opportunity to prove that you can take on other more relevant positions is an extra motivation. This way, employees will value a stable future within their job with the opportunity to improve day by day and that their efforts will be rewarded with new responsibilities.
• Training Employees want to constantly learn, expand their knowledge, and improve their skills. If you help them do this, they will be happier and more productive.
• Good working environment. Encouraging teamwork and developing a good company culture is important for employees to feel comfortable every day they go to work. A conflict-free work environment, where everyone knows their place, is an important factor in retaining talent. No one wants to work in a hostile environment where the team does not share opinions or suggestions.
• Company culture. If you keep your company’s values and culture in mind when hiring, you are much more likely to recruit the ideal candidate who will stay for a long time. To do this, you need to know who you want to attract to your company, that is, who your ideal candidate is. This is one of the ways to ensure that candidates feel they belong and stay with the company. They need to feel that they are part of something they believe in and, above all, agree with.
• Recognition. We all like to be told the things we have done well, not just the things we have done wrong. Simple words such as “thank you,” “congratulations,” “well done,” and “I trust you” are part of an emotional salary that sometimes compensates and satisfies much more than any financial remuneration.

And what are the advantages?

Emotional salary has three main advantages:

1. Psychological well-being. When employees see that the company cares about their personal needs, they feel motivated and their work is recognized, which helps reduce stress and increase their commitment and motivation.
2. Work-life balance. Offering flexible working hours or benefits such as childcare helps parents balance their work and family life, which also boosts their productivity.
3. Opportunities for self-development and improvement: Skills development courses, coaching programs, or language training help employees improve as individuals and as professionals.

In our experience over the years, we have found that having free fruit in the office is a benefit that tangibly contributes to a better working environment.

When your employees have fruit in the office, they know that you care about them and that you are making an effort to make their working day more complete and better. And for us, knowing this is a great contribution to our emotional salary. To help improve your employees’ emotional salary, check out our comprehensive solutions or fruit delivery service.

The event was hosted by Olympic medalist José Luis Abajo, Pirri,

who highlighted the hard work of the jury, which was made up of leading professionals from a number of renowned companies.

Frutality had the pleasure of collaborating in this 5th Health and Business Digital HR Awards Gala, as well as presenting one of the four diplomas, special mentions from HR, to Luis López from Lyreco (HR Director).

We would like to take this opportunity to congratulate Banco Santander on winning this 5th edition, as well as the rest of the participants.

Womenalia is the world’s first social networking site for professional women,

connecting women with similar interests and needs and a common goal: to increase the visibility of female talent in the business world, boosting entrepreneurship and access to executive positions, and encouraging all professional women to achieve their career goals.

On Thursday, May 24, the II HR ThinkTank took place, an event in which various measures were studied to effectively implement happiness in companies and achieve a healthy work life, with several professional women and HR managers giving various talks throughout the day.

As sponsors of the event, we set up a stand with our products, offering free tastings to each of the participants, as well as giving them a sample of our products. All the participants were very interested in our stand, trying each of our products, giving very favorable opinions and a very positive result.

It has been a real pleasure to participate in this event, and we ended it very happy with the opinions we received. Frutality supports professional women.