• The BELA Tin Society
  • The BELA Tin Society
  • The BELA Tin Society

The BELA Tin Society

Regular price $499.00
Unit price per

BELA is bringing canning back to New England. We are doing it in Maine, close to the boats and ports that land the catch, and putting New England fish in New England tins for the first time in a generation.

For twenty-nine years we have made Portuguese tinned fish as an American company based in New England. Now we are canning here too.

The BELA Tin Society is the founding group built around this new American line. Members taste every tin a full month before it reaches a single store, from the port to your table, before the market has seen any of it. Four flavor drops of 3 tins arrivals between September and December, canned in Maine and sent straight to members first. Each valued over $100. 

You are reading this because you were invited. The Society is fifty seats only, and the roster is built from the people who have been with BELA the longest. That is the whole point of it. A short, named list of the first to taste what we are canning here.

Every seat comes with a permanent member number that stays yours for good, and a 15% code good on everything for a year.

When the fifty are gone, the Society closes. It opens once.

Standards

50 Seats OnlyInvitation Only4 Drops · 12 TinsOne Payment, No Renewal15% Off For A YearCanned In MaineOne Month Ahead Of RetailPermanent Member NumberNew England Catch

Related

Do More with a Tin of Fish

Sarine Buffalo Dip
Sardines With Lemon
Meet Bela
Cod On the Go
Piri Piri Tacos
Mackerel & Piri Piri
Bela at Home
Spicy On-The-Go Lunch
Spicy Pasta Night
Snack Roll
Seachurtery Board
Our Way To Give Back

FAQs

What's actually in a tin? Open Close

Five things. Fish, organic extra virgin olive oil, sea salt, water, and natural smoke flavor. That's the whole list. No fillers, no preservatives, nothing you'd need to look up.

Is the olive oil worth keeping? Open Close

Yes, and pouring it down the drain is the most common mistake people make. It's organic extra virgin olive oil from a fifth-generation family farm in Talhas, and it's spent months taking on the flavor of the fish. Use it on toast, in a vinaigrette, over warm potatoes, or folded into whatever you're already cooking.

Do I have to cook it? Open Close

No. Every tin is fully cooked and ready to eat the moment you open it. Fork straight from the tin, pile it on bread, or fold it into pasta. Heat is optional and never required.

What does "natural smoke flavor" mean? Open Close

It's the house flavor across our sardines, added during canning. It's not a curing process and it's not a variant you have to choose. It's simply how BELA sardines have tasted since 1997.

How much protein is in a tin of sardines? Open Close

20 grams. One tin, no stove, no prep.

Are the bones edible? Open Close

They are, and they're the point. Sardine bones soften completely during canning until you won't notice them, and they carry most of the calcium. Nothing to pick out.

What's the difference between the sardines, mackerel, and codfish? Open Close

Sardines are the classic: rich, full flavor, the one to start with. Mackerel is meatier and stands up to bolder seasoning. Codfish Portuguese Style is milder and flakier, closer to what you'd want in a salad or a fritter.

Where is BELA made? Open Close

Our fish is canned at a family-run cannery in Olhão, Portugal, where it's been packed since 1997. The olive oil comes from a family farm in Talhas, in Trás-os-Montes.

How do I store a tin once it's open? Open Close

Move whatever's left into a sealed container, oil and all, and refrigerate. It'll keep three to four days and the flavor holds up well.

How long does an unopened tin keep? Open Close

{CONFIRM — JOSH} years from the date on the tin. Store it somewhere cool and dry and don't overthink it.

Where can I buy BELA in stores? Open Close

You'll find us at Sprouts and Natural Grocers, with more retailers coming. The full range is always here.

The Oil

Organic extra virgin olive oil from a fifth-generation family farm in Trás-os-Montes. Hand-harvested in late November and rested four months before it ever meets a tin.

OrganicExtra VirginCold PressedFamily Farmed

The Fish

Wild-caught in the Atlantic and hand-packed in Olhão by the same family cannery BELA partnered with in 1997. Small fish, packed whole, never farmed.

Wild-CaughtHand-PackedLow Mercury20g Protein Per Tin

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