Interview

Even before Mustique Gourmet took shape in Tavira, João Pedro Meira and his parents shared a clear idea: to create a place where Portugal could be appreciated with time, intention and beauty.

A natural communicator with a background in the world of luxury, João Pedro returned to the south determined to turn memory into narrative and a sense of place into curation.

In this conversation, he speaks about returning home, family, the rhythm of Tavira and the vision that gives Mustique Gourmet its soul and direction.

João Pedro Meira

a bridge over a body of water with a building in the background

“I want people to feel that they have stepped into a place where time slows down and everything has been chosen with intention. Above all, I want them to come with a spirit of discovery.”

Why the name Mustique Gourmet?

The name Mustique Gourmet comes from this idea of a haven. In the 1970s, for many people living in London — artists, creatives and those who needed room to breathe — the island of Mustique was a paradise, an escape from the city’s relentless pace. A place of light, rest and truth. When I think about our family, I see a natural parallel: we too left London in search of time, simplicity and purpose. We headed south, towards the light of the Algarve, to create a place where life slows down and the best of Portugal can be celebrated at an unhurried pace. Mustique Gourmet is exactly that — not the island itself, but the feeling of finding a place where one can finally live authentically.

What made you want to create this project with your parents?

Above all, Mustique Gourmet is a family project. My parents have always been my anchor, and this space is the natural continuation of our story. Each of us brings something essential: my mother’s aesthetic sensitivity, my father’s sense of place and personal connection, and my editorial vision. Together, we have created somewhere that is not merely commercial: it is emotional, rooted in identity and unmistakably ours.

What does “curation” mean to you at Mustique Gourmet?

For me, curation is everything that happens before a product reaches the shelf. We do not work with wholesalers; we work brand by brand — more than 50, each chosen individually. There is an intense, almost obsessive process of research behind finding the very best: discreet producers, forgotten projects and brands that deserve both a stage and a story worthy of them. Mustique Gourmet is not a catalogue; it is a filter. Everything that comes through our doors must answer one simple question: does this represent the Portugal we want to celebrate?

“There is an intense, almost obsessive process of research behind finding the very best.”

And the future?

The future of Mustique Gourmet lies in growing slowly, coherently and with complete loyalty to our sense of place. We want to deepen our curation, create experiences, give producers a stage and remain a haven for those who live here and those who visit us. Mustique Gourmet is not a destination; it is a path we are building as a family.

What do you hope people will feel when they enter Mustique Gourmet?

I want people to feel that they have stepped into a place where time slows down and everything has been chosen with intention. Above all, I want them to come with a spirit of discovery — to find exceptional products they have never seen before, discreet projects that deserve a stage and flavours that surprise them. At the same time, I hope there is a sense of rediscovery: historic brands that belong to our collective memory, such as Couto toothpaste, reconnecting us with a familiar and affectionate Portugal. Mustique Gourmet lives in this balance between the new and the nostalgic, between discovery and remembrance.