The Woork’s Catalys identity rejects gourmet clichés with editorial rigour

Catalys positions itself as something closer to a cultural translator than a traditional distributor. The brand connects artisanal producers from northern Spain with French consumers who’ve grown weary of the predictable visual language that typically accompanies Spanish gourmet products. Madrid-based studio The Woork developed an identity that sidesteps every expected reference, building instead a contemporary system that communicates authenticity through restraint and precision rather than folklore. The project began with extensive conversations. “We sat down with them several times and unpacked how they choose producers, how their direct relationship with artisans in northern Spain actually works, and what they want to achieve by translating those products to the French market,” explains Creative Director & Brand Strategist David Botella. These discussions revealed a clear ambition to convey authenticity, quality and traceability whilst making people fall in love with a place through its flavours. This understanding shaped every subsequent decision, from naming to colour application. The name itself operates on multiple registers. Catalys connects the Spanish ‘cata’ (tasting) with the French ‘lys’ (lily), creating linguistic symmetry between origin and destination. Beyond phonetics, it references catalysis, the chemical process where an element facilitates a reaction without being consumed by it. “We are not protagonists, we are facilitators,” notes Botella. “We don’t sell products, we reveal stories.” This positioning became the conceptual foundation for the entire system.