We had a pleasant conversation with Andrea Antonelli, owner of the pasta factory, because we wanted to understand how much passion drives a pasta producer, what drives him to develop production and renew his business.
Could it be the need to keep up with the times or is it his passion for making pasta, that passion that conveys a strong sense of tradition?
The answer, of course, is already implicit.
Your brand is linked to a special number: the year 1987. It seems like yesterday when you started out but we’re talking about more than 35 years ago. What has changed since you started out or has anything changed at all?
Yes actually! My father, the founder of the company, driven by a strong vocation for pasta, took over what was, at the time, a laboratory and before that it was a small livestock farm; at the time, the laboratory had a mixer and a manual packaging machine.
Today, we can say that we have a very respectable pasta factory. What has truly never changed, despite on-going development and renewal, including generational, is the distinctive character of our family. We have never given in to compromising on the the purity and quality of our pasta.
How does the market affect your product, I mean do you follow market trends or do you still consider it important to position yourself as a producer close to the Italian pasta making tradition?
Both. Let me explain: market data shows that premium pasta market is growing steadily and our pasta has always been, first and foremost, good and tasty. Those who eat it must experience a sensation of pleasure, something to remember for the rest of the day. We have our own certified supply chain, made up of a network of farmers who grow selected and certified varieties of seeds, based on very strict technical specifications. Our milling partner grinds the wheat according to a specific recipe to give us the semolina we want. It is then transformed into top quality pasta. Our organization puts us in an advantageous position since it is not just a business model to follow, but a cooperation of intent aimed at optimizing the quality and sustainability of the entire supply chain.
What were you looking for when you chose Storci as your technological partner?
Our pasta has high organoleptic/nutritional values, especially in terms of protein content. To achieve certain results, you need to know the raw materials and the technological process. Our method leaves no room for interpretation. It needs time, processes to be followed and an infinite number of details to attend to: there is no escape from this or shortcuts to be taken. We needed a highly technological innovative system, capable of adopting our specific method, ensuring that superior quality pasta is provided, where tastiness, our main objective, always comes first. So after seeing how Storci designs and builds its systems, with Michele Storci and Simone Franchi, I realized that the company had the spirit of innovation and continuous improvement that I was looking for, and above all, it leaves no stone unturned. This is Storci’s real added value!
