Bueno Foods (El Encanto, Inc.) has been creating New Mexican products for our customers since 1951. We’re a local, family-owned, minority and woman-owned home-grown company. And we are now celebrating our seventh decade! In these seven decades, we have grown into the Southwest’s premier producer of New Mexican and Mexican-style foods.
Honoring New Mexican Food Since 1951
Bueno Foods stays true to our cultural heritage through the New Mexican food we produce. Our New Mexico history is at the heart of every product we make. We flame roast green chile to celebrate the time-honored New Mexican chile roasting tradition. Like our ancestors before us, we still use the ancient tradition of nixtamalization for our corn products and we continue to stone grind all of our corn for tortillas and tamales. And at the core of our prepared food products are traditional recipes that have been passed down through generations.
Roasted Hatch Green Chile - part of our history
There was a time when New Mexico green chile could only be enjoyed at harvest time. Our Founders, the Baca Brothers changed that. Not only were they were the first to develop equipment to flame roast green chile on a large scale, but they had the idea to freeze it. This allowed us to share the delicious New Mexico Green Chile tradition with even more people all year long!
Bueno Foods has since developed proprietary processes for a variety of roasts that maximizes the best flavor of New Mexico grown green chile. The company continues to be the industry leader in innovation and quality.
What You Can Expect From Bueno Foods
Innovation
At Bueno Foods, we value creativity in our pursuit of excellence. We take great pride in our ability to translate authentic New Mexican cuisine from home recipes into commercial production by incorporating innovative techniques and state-of-the-art technology. Since the beginning, our company has implemented inventive techniques and processes when none were available. We have been the industry leader, implementing new ideas, techniques, and technology for the purpose of continual improvement.
Food Safety
We take great pride in the fact that our comprehensive food safety program has received accolades by third party auditors who audit thousands of companies world-wide.
We are SQF Certified (Safe Quality Food part of the Global Food Safety Initiative), one of only a handful of companies in our industry to receive the premier food safety certification.
Superior food safety and premium quality are our passion and our promise.
Quality
Excellence is the Bueno Foods’ Standard. Our dedicated, well-trained Quality Assurance team ensures every product’s superior quality and consistency. Every incoming ingredient and every outgoing product must meet strict specifications. We have a 100% guarantee. Our goal is your complete satisfaction and ultimately, your delight.
The BUENO® Timeline
Learn how Bueno Foods grew from a small neighborhood grocery store into the Southwest’s premier producer of New Mexican and Mexican foods.
1946
Joe Baca and The Ace Food Store, 1949
The Baca Brothers, members of a long-time New Mexican family, returned home after serving in World War II. They scraped together enough money to start a small neighborhood grocery store called “The Ace.”
1947
Baca Brothers Returning from WWII
At first, the small operation was quite successful. However, when large grocery store chains such as Piggly Wiggly and Safeway came to Albuquerque, the Baca brothers knew they would not be able to compete with the big stores.
They were determined to make their business work, and began to think of other ways they could grow the company.
1948
Grandma Filomena Creating Home-cooked Meals
The Baca Brothers began selling their mother’s delicious meals in the store. The homemade traditional dishes were a hit but the Baca brothers realized their growth would be limited and they needed to expand on their dream.
1950
In the early 1950s every household was getting a freezer. Birds Eye® frozen vegetables were becoming the rage. The brothers had the idea to take chile, roast it over an open flame as the wonderful New Mexico autumn tradition dictated, and freeze it so that people could enjoy green chile year-round. Before this time, chile was only available during harvest or if it was dried.
1951
First Tortillas Made On Pie Crust Roller
The brothers formed a partnership and moved their operation to Airway Road, the site of their childhood home. They began manufacturing corn and flour tortillas on a pie crust roller, red chile, tamales and posole. And with this handful of products, and 5 employees, Bueno Foods was born.
1952
Original BUENO® Green Chile Container
The Baca brothers were the first to process green chile on a commercial scale. At this time, there was no process or equipment to roast green chile in mass quantities so they created it. They built the equipment and invented the process.
1979
Joe and Jackie Baca Working Together
Second generation, Jacqueline “Jackie” Baca, starts full time, working alongside her father and founder, Joe Baca.
1983
Jacqueline, an M.B.A. graduate of the University of New Mexico, becomes executive vice president. She obtains financing to build a new plant in the Barelas neighborhood, the community where her father and uncles have their roots.
1984
Rendering of New Plant
Grand opening of new plant, modernizing the operation.
1986
Jackie and Gene
Jacqueline becomes president.
Gene Baca, graduates Harvard School of Law. Becomes senior vice president.
1989
Catherine Baca Joins
First plant expansion.
Catherine Baca, M.D. University of New Mexico and M.P.H. Harvard University, joins company, bringing a health focus to the products and the workplace. Leads R&D and Technical Services.
1992
Joe Baca Teaching Ana The Art of Enchilada Making
Ana Baca, A.B. Stanford University, M.A. University of New Mexico, joins the Marketing Department. Publishes first BUENO® cookbook.
1996 / 1997
GRANDMA’S® Introduced
Second plant expansion.
Introduction of New Mexico’s favorite tortilla GRANDMA’S® Tortillas.
1999
Autumn Roast® Introduced
Introduction of Autumn Roast® Green Chile.
2006
Preserving New Mexico’s Signature Crop
Gene Baca, co-founded the New Mexico Chile Association to protect and preserve New Mexico’s signature crop.
2013
Hatch Autumn Roast® Green Chile Introduced
Introduction of Hatch Autumn Roast® Green Chile.
2015
GRANDMA’S® Skinny Minis® Introduced
The GRANDMA’S® brand continues with the newest 100 Calorie Skinny Minis®.
2020
Green Chile Chicken Tamales
Introducing two new on trend tamales: Green Chile Chicken Tamales and Red Chile Pork Tamalitos.
2022
Green Chile Freezer Expansion
Plant expansion that includes a new freezer that will become the largest green and red chile freezer in the U.S.