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  • Antonio Amorim

    01Antonio Amorim

  • Cork tree after harvest

    02Cork tree after harvest

  • Tonnes of cork piled in one of Amorim’s factories

    03Tonnes of cork piled in one of Amorim’s factories

  • Cutters trim the cork

    04Cutters trim the cork

  • Quality control

    05Quality control

  • Shredded cork is pressed to create long cylinders that are then cut

    06Shredded cork is pressed to create long cylinders that are then cut

  • The finalised stoppers

    07The finalised stoppers

  • Workers remove any imperfect corks

    08Workers remove any imperfect corks

  • Senta stool made with Amorim cork

    09Senta stool made with Amorim cork

  • 01Harvest

  • 02Soaking

  • 03Cutting

  • 04Best of the best

The process

  1. Harvest
    Cutters use axes to remove the bark, leaving the treetops untouched. Cork can be harvested once every nine years.

  2. Soaking
    The cork is transported to factories where it is left to dry then soaked in boiling water at 98C to flatten the slabs.

  3. Cutting
    Roundels are cut from bark strips; leftovers are then shredded and used to make less expensive corks.

  4. Best of the best
    Premium cork is taken to facilities where robots guide the bark and master craftsmen punch out one-piece stoppers. They are then branded.

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