Santa Nata celebrates 10 million pastel de nata sales as it prepares to open first overseas bakery in Hong Kong

Santa Nata, the London-based chain of Portuguese bakeries founded by Francisco Oliveira, has recorded its 10 millionth Pastel de Nata sale this May, with the company also preparing to open its first overseas branch in Hong Kong. The milestone comes seven years after the business launched its first shop in the British capital with the aim of selling traditional Portuguese custard tarts made to a recipe originating in a Lisbon monastery more than three centuries ago.

The company currently operates six bakeries across London and one in Oxford, with the forthcoming Hong Kong branch marking its first location outside the United Kingdom. Oliveira founded Santa Nata in 2019 after being unable to find what he considered an authentic Pastel de Nata in London and deciding to produce his own using a recipe he has chosen not to disclose publicly.

Each tart is produced on site in small batches throughout the day. The process involves three stages: preparing and laminating the dough before moulding it to achieve a light, crisp texture; making a smooth custard; and baking the filled pastries at a high temperature to brown the tops without burning them. In keeping with Portuguese tradition, staff ring a bell to alert customers when a new batch leaves the oven.

Commenting on the sales milestone, owner Francisco Oliveira said: “Reaching our 10 millionth Pastel de Nata sale is an important milestone for us and something I’m very grateful for, especially considering Santa Nata started with one small shop and a simple idea, to bring an authentic taste of Lisbon to and I still think there is a long way to go in terms of what we want to build, improve and achieve. We’re proud of what we’ve done so far, but we stay focused on getting better every day and continuing to grow the brand the right way.”

Each store employs a Master Baker responsible for producing several batches of tarts daily. Alongside the pastries, the bakeries serve Allpress coffee and a small selection of soft drinks. Tarts can be purchased individually or in boxes of four or eight, with both in-store collection and home delivery available.

The company has also introduced new products for spring 2026, including custard doughnuts and a soft-serve custard ice cream with various toppings, now stocked across all locations.

Food Desk

For further information and orders, visit Santa Nata’s website here.