Ice-cream company destoyed by Cajiz blaze finds new premises

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Nonna Helado Artesanal will be able to resume operations thanks to the owners of Costa del Sol Balear, following the devastating fire that gutted the factory in the eastern Costa del Sol village on 17 April

Eugenio Cabezas

Thursday, 23 April 2026, 16:15

Nonna Helado Artesanal ice-cream company now has new premises in the San Luis industrial estate in Malaga city and will be able to resume operations following the devastating fire that gutted its factory in Cajiz, Vélez-Málaga, on the eastern Costa del Sol on Friday 17 April.

The lease-to-buy agreement has been made possible thanks to the help of a Malaga-based couple, Pepe Cañete and Teresa Bandera, owners of Costa del Sol Balear which has a premises on the same industrial estate, who have made the premises available "on very favourable terms", while Nonna Helado CEO Enrique Rodríguez and his family prepare a temporary solution for their ice-cream company.

Rodríguez explains that no rent will be payable for the first year, as part of a particularly favourable arrangement designed to enable them to get back on their feet as soon as possible. He says the agreement even leaves open the option to purchase the premises in the future, something the family considers "crucial" to stabilising the business, which employs around 10 people, following the fire.

He explains that they are setting up a small production area in their ice cream parlour in Rincón de la Victoria with the aim of resuming production “in two or three weeks”, although the new premises may take a further three months to become fully operational.

A race against time

The emergency plan is not limited to physical space. The company has also launched a pre-sale of ice cream on its website and is receiving orders from various parts of Spain and even from abroad, according to Rodríguez. This initiative will allow them to generate cash flow while looking for machinery, funding and support to replace the equipment lost in the fire at the Cajiz industrial estate.

Ultimately, the reconstruction remains a race against time. The business owner admits that, now that the premises have been secured, the most complex phase begins: sourcing machinery, securing financial backing and rebuilding a production facility that was completely destroyed by the fire. Even so, he insists that the priority is to get back to work as soon as possible and prevent the business from being paralysed for months.

The tragedy in Cajiz completely destroyed the warehouse where the firm had consolidated its growth in recent years and forced the Rodríguez family to react immediately. As SUR previously reported, the business had gained a foothold in restaurants, hotels and venues along the Costa del Sol, particularly since the Covid-19 pandemic.

In recent days, Nonna Helado’s story has become an example of corporate resilience and private solidarity in the face of an industrial disaster. First came the fire, then the public appeal and now the new premises and next, a phased return to production, supported by industry partners and a community of customers who have responded swiftly.