Gullón, formally Galletas Gullón S.A., is a Spanish family-owned food company best known for manufacturing biscuits and other cereal-based products. Founded in 1892 in Aguilar de Campoo, Palencia, Spain, the company has grown from a regional biscuit maker into one of Europe’s major biscuit manufacturers, with products exported to more than 120 countries. Gullón particularly distinguishes itself through its focus on health-oriented biscuits, including wholemeal, sugar-free, gluten-free, organic and high-fibre products.1

Today, Gullón remains a family-controlled company and describes itself as the only century-old Spanish biscuit company that continues to operate as a family business in the sector. In 2025, the company reported revenue of more than €750 million and more than 2,300 direct employees.2

Foundation and early years

Gullón was established in 1892 by José Gullón Barrios, a confectioner from Zamora, in Aguilar de Campoo. The location was particularly suitable for biscuit production because of the surrounding cereal-producing region and access to sugar through the nearby port of Santander. Gullón’s origins therefore coincided with the emergence of industrial biscuit manufacturing in Spain.

Aguilar de Campoo subsequently became one of Spain’s most important biscuit-producing centres. During the 20th century, several biscuit companies operated in the town, helping give it a reputation as a Spanish “town of biscuits.”

1950s: Product diversification

During the 1950s, Gullón expanded beyond its original traditional products. The company introduced products such as María biscuits, Tostadas doradas, wafers, chocolate-covered rosquillas and pastries. This marked the beginning of the broader product portfolio that would eventually become characteristic of the brand.

1970s–1980s: The health-biscuit strategy

One of the most important chapters in Gullón’s history came with its move into healthier biscuit products. The company states that it introduced its first wholemeal María biscuit in 1979, helping establish what would become Spain’s health-oriented biscuit segment. In 1986, Gullón introduced biscuits made with vegetable oils and continued expanding its wholemeal, cereal and fibre-based products.

During the 1980s, María Teresa Rodríguez took over management and, together with Juan Miguel Martínez Gabaldón, led the company’s expansion and modernization. This period was crucial because Gullón gradually differentiated itself from conventional biscuit manufacturers. Rather than competing solely on traditional sweet biscuits, it increasingly positioned itself around nutrition, fibre, whole grains and healthier formulations.

Major milestones

• 1892 — Galletas Gullón founded in Aguilar de Campoo.
• 1950s — Major diversification into María biscuits, wafers, pastries and other products.
• 1979 — Introduction of its first wholemeal María biscuit.
• 1986 — Introduction of biscuits made with vegetable oils.
• 1997–1999 — Gullón became the first Spanish biscuit company to obtain AENOR quality and environmental-management certifications.
• 2000 — Creation of the first international subsidiary in Portugal; later expansion into markets including Italy, France, the UK and the United States. The company also introduced the Ligera range.
• 2002 — Launch of the sugar-free Diet Nature range.
• 2003 — Opening of the large Gullón II production facility.
• 2007 — Launch of María BIO, based on organic cereals and designed without several major allergens.
• 2011 — Expansion into gluten-free biscuits.
• 2015 — Opening of the VIDA factory and launch of the Vitalday range.
• 2019 — María Teresa Rodríguez became Honorary Chairwoman, with leadership passing to her daughter Lourdes Gullón.
• 2021 — Diet Nature was relaunched as ZERO, with no-sugar products.
• 2022 — Gullón celebrated its 130th anniversary.
• 2023 — The company exceeded 1,900 employees and introduced products including Hookies and Vitalgrain.
• 2024 — €20 million investment in logistics and storage capacity.
• 2025 — Revenue exceeded €750 million.
• 2026 — Gullón reported more than 2,300 direct employees.

A major characteristic of Gullón is that it has remained family-owned for more than a century. Unlike many large food companies, Gullón has not become part of a multinational food conglomerate. The company describes itself as the only century-old family biscuit company still operating in the sector.

The company is currently associated with the fourth generation of the founding family. Lourdes Gullón succeeded María Teresa Rodríguez in the company’s leadership structure, while Juan Miguel Martínez Gabaldón serves as General Manager/CEO. This family ownership is an important part of the Gullón brand identity: the company combines a traditional family-business structure with highly industrialized manufacturing and international distribution.

Gullón’s portfolio is considerably broader than its traditional María biscuit. Its products can broadly be divided into several categories:

Traditional biscuits

These include classic Spanish-style biscuits such as María and other traditional biscuit formats.

Wholemeal and high-fibre biscuits

Wholemeal biscuits are one of the company’s historical specialties. Gullón has built considerable brand recognition around whole grains, fibre and nutritionally oriented biscuits.

Sugar-free products

The company’s ZERO range evolved from its earlier Diet Nature line and focuses on biscuits without sugar.

Organic products

Gullón entered the organic segment with products such as María BIO, using ingredients from organic agriculture.

Gluten-free products

Gullón also has a substantial gluten-free portfolio, introduced as part of its strategy of catering to consumers with specific dietary requirements.

Breakfast and cereal products

The company has expanded into products containing whole grains and cereals, including its Vitalday and Vitalgrain ranges.

Indulgent and everyday biscuits

Despite its healthy positioning, Gullón does not exclusively sell “diet” products. Its portfolio also includes filled, chocolate, wafer and other more indulgent biscuit formats.

Gullón can essentially be described as a Spanish heritage biscuit brand with a health-and-wellness positioning. Its brand proposition sits between two worlds:

Traditional Spanish biscuit-making
→ more than 130 years of history, María biscuits, family ownership and Spanish manufacturing

and

Modern healthy eating
→ whole grains, fibre, sugar-free, gluten-free, organic and nutritionally oriented products.

That combination is arguably the core of Gullón’s identity.

Gullón’s principal industrial operations remain concentrated in Aguilar de Campoo. The company’s two major production centres are:

Gullón factory

The large Gullón production facility was inaugurated in 2003 and became a major expansion of the company’s manufacturing capacity.

VIDA

VIDA — Vértice de Innovación y Desarrollo de Alimentos — is Gullón’s newer industrial and innovation facility. It opened in 2015 and was designed as a highly modern production and development centre.

Together, Gullón says its industrial complex has more than 200,000 square metres of built area and production capacity exceeding 20 billion biscuits per year. This is significant because Gullón is no longer simply a traditional Spanish biscuit bakery; it operates at the scale of a major industrial food manufacturer.

Research and development is central to Gullón’s strategy. Rather than simply reproducing traditional biscuit recipes, the company has repeatedly attempted to respond to changing consumer preferences, particularly around:

• reduced sugar;
• reduced salt;
• whole grains;
• dietary fibre;
• organic ingredients;
• gluten-free products;
• allergen-conscious products;
• alternative nutritional formulations;
• convenient breakfast and snack formats.

The company describes continuous R&D investment as a key reason for its position in the health-biscuit category.

Gullón began international expansion relatively early compared with many traditional Spanish food companies. The company established its first subsidiary in Portugal in 2000, followed by subsidiaries or operations associated with markets including Italy, France, the United Kingdom and the United States.

Today, the company’s products reach 120+ countries, giving the brand a substantially larger international footprint than its origins in a small town in northern Spain might suggest. Gullón has also indicated that it wants international markets to become increasingly important to its future growth, with its 2030 strategy targeting foreign sales exceeding domestic sales.

Gullón has experienced substantial growth in recent decades. The company reports that its sales volume has grown at an average annual rate of around 10% over the last 15 years, reflecting both product expansion and international growth.

For 2025, Gullón reported revenue of more than €750 million, representing significant growth from previous years. The company also reported more than 2,300 direct employees in 2026. For perspective, the company reported revenue of approximately €690 million for 2024 in its 2025 communications.

Sustainability is another component of Gullón’s corporate strategy. The company states that its priorities include environmental and social responsibility, quality, continuous improvement and responsible management. Its corporate-responsibility programme is connected to areas including the UN Sustainable Development Goals.

The company also emphasizes the economic importance of maintaining production in Aguilar de Campoo, where its headquarters and principal manufacturing facilities are located.

The company has traditionally maintained strong family involvement in management. Notable figures include:

• José Gullón Barrios — founder, 1892.
• María Teresa Rodríguez — major figure in the modernization and growth of the company from the 1980s onward.
• Lourdes Gullón Rodríguez — member of the founding family and current president.
• Juan Miguel Martínez Gabaldón — General Manager/CEO and a key figure in the company’s expansion and modernization.

As of 2026, Gullón is a large Spanish food manufacturer with more than 130 years of history. It remains headquartered and principally manufactured in Aguilar de Campoo, operates the Gullón and VIDA industrial facilities, exports to more than 120 countries and employs more than 2,300 people directly. Its 2025 revenue exceeded €750 million.

In August 2026, the company received the Premio Alimentos de España to the Food Industry, the Spanish Ministry of Agriculture’s major recognition for companies in the Spanish agri-food sector. The award recognized Gullón’s long-term industrial development, innovation, sustainability and economic and social contribution.3

1. Sobre Gullón: Conoce Nuestra Empresa
2. Responsabilidad Corporativa De Gullón
3. Sala De Prensa De Gullón: Todas Las Noticias