Know us

At Rifacli we love artisan biscuits. That is why every day we strive to elaborate them with delicacy and a lot of care. We have been doing it for so long that without realizing it we have become centenarians. And we have been elaborating small moments of pleasure for more than 100 years ago.

It all started in 1917 with Ricard founding the Rifacli pastry shop in L’Espluga de Francolí, he was only 23 years old. A few years later, his mastery was rewarded with the distinction of the Cross and the Gold Medal at the 1922 Rome exhibition. Since then we have continued to make cookies, nowadays from Montblanc. Of course, we maintain his rigor and his passion. For this reason, in Rifacli we make the same centenary biscuits at the same time that we innovate with new forms and flavors.

Know us

At Rifacli we love artisan biscuits. That is why every day we strive to elaborate them with delicacy and a lot of care. We have been doing it for so long that without realizing it we have become centenarians. And we have been elaborating small moments of pleasure for more than 100 years ago.

It all started in 1917 with Ricard founding the Rifacli pastry shop in L’Espluga de Francolí, he was only 23 years old. A few years later, his mastery was rewarded with the distinction of the Cross and the Gold Medal at the 1922 Rome exhibition. Since then we have continued to make cookies, nowadays from Montblanc. Of course, we maintain his rigor and his passion. For this reason, in Rifacli we make the same centenary biscuits at the same time that we innovate with new forms and flavors.

Our history

1917

Open a pastry in Espluga de Francolí

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Ricard Ferrer Climent was the son of a pastry chef. One day, in a bar on Muntaner Street in Barcelona, he invented a new biscuit: artisanal fans. He named the cookie as himself: Ri (Ricard) – Fa (Ferrer) – Cli (Climent).

Ricard reaped successful sales just a short time after having manufactured the cookies. That’s why he decided to go back to his native village of l’Espluga de Francolí. It is in this village of Tarragona region where the Rifacli pastry shop opened its doors. In it, Ricard had a larger room to make the fans. He was 23 years old.

This area had already considerable tourism because of the Costa Dorada, the Cistercian route, the medieval town of Montblanc and the modernist city of Reus. The demand was so high that Rosa, his wife, became involved in the business. Together they made and sold handmade cookies in their local family home. The store was located in the same house at street level.

In the small workshop of l’Espluga de Francolí, the couple of confectioners began to produce three types of handmade biscuits: Rifacli fans, Fliots carquinyolis and Christmas neules. For this they had 3 machines of 3 plates to cook the cookie of fans and neules. However, there was a strong handicraft component in the biscuit making process. And part of it, we keep it until today. For example, we continue to fold the fans by hand.

1922

The first recognitions arrive

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The fans and carquinyolis became so desired that they were exported in all of Spain. In addition, at the Rome Exposition in 1922, the work of Ricard and Rosa was distinguished with the Cross and the Gold Medal. The success obtained allowed to improve the packaging. It was passed from a gray metal box wrapped with paper in which it was printed Rifacli, to a beautiful lithographed box ideal for gifts.

The new Rifacli boxes, once the content was enjoyed, were reused to store postcards, lithographs or material for sewing.

1950

First move

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The success of the Rifacli cookies was such that the demand could not be met with the workshop in the family home.

For this reason, the production was moved to larger premises located on the Carretera de Montblanc, in the same town of L’Espluga de Francolí.

1970's

From workshop to artisanal factory

More images of this period

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The desire for Rifacli biscuits continued to grow. In this way, little by little the small family workshop was transformed into a small industrial factory with handmade touches. Several production lines were set up, each specialized in one task.

In this way, we had a line dedicated to the transformation of raw materials, another to bake wafers, another to bathe cookies into cocoa, etc. The workforce grew more and more. In fact, up to 120 people came to work in this factory.

Another interesting fact is that Rifacli cookies started selling all over the world, even in the United States and the Middle East.

1990's

We moved to Montblanc

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In order to improve our work, in the early 90’s we moved to Montblanc. Today, we continue to make handmade biscuits there. And we do it as always: with centuries-old recipes, local ingredients and half-century ovens. In addition, and as Ricard and Rosa did in their time, we sell our cookies in the same factory, so we can have direct contact with our customers.

2016

Delices appear

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It does not only move us what we know to do very well, we also like to innovate. That’s why we launched a new range of craft cookies: the Delice. What are they? Well, crispy cookies with pieces of fruit or chocolate. And with the Delice we want to add a little more pleasure to your tea or juice moment.

2017

A century of history

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100 years since the opening of the small pastry in L’Espluga de Francolí. A century of hard work and passion for cookies. It is said fast, but we continue to manufacture our fans 100 years later, carquinyolis and neulas. And in the same way.

2018

New corporate image

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In 2018 in Rifacli we decided to get pretty. For this reason, we have renewed our logo taking as reference the original one but modernizing it.

In addition, we renew our packaging to convey a more modern and more design image. We also provide ourselves with a more attractive and useful website for our clients. But not only that, because this year we also launched new products and new varieties of carquinyolis and creps. The future looks good to us and we face it with great enthusiasm. We are passionate about handmade biscuits and we want to share it with you.