Lazzaroni
 | |
| Joint stock company | |
| Industry | Italian food |
| Founded | 1888 |
| Founder | Giacinto, Piero ed Ernesto Lazzaroni |
| Headquarters | Lainate, Italy |
Area served | Worldwide |
| Products | Bakery products |
| Revenue |
 € 28 million (2011)[1] |
| Owner | Gruppo Ragosta |
Number of employees | 146 (2010) |
| Subsidiaries | France |
| Slogan | Natural pastry excellence. Since 1888. |
| Website | www.lazzaroni.it |
Lazzaroni is the brand name related to several biscuits and bakery products manufactured by the Italian company D. Lazzaroni & C. Spa.
Lazzaroni is a historical Italian brand highly regarded in the food industry, namely thanks to products such as the Amaretti di Saronno. D. Lazzaroni & C. Spa, being the first Italian company to transform biscuit manufacturing into an industrial process, has been marketing Lazzaroni branded biscuits and pastries since 1888, even though the beginnings date back to the early 18th century.
History
The Lazzaroni family, led by Carlo Lazzaroni, moved from Valtellina to Saronno at the beginning of the 18th century, starting the artisanal production of the famous Amaretti di Saronno. The business was then continued by Carlo's offspring, brothers Paolo and Davide. The former moved to Monza in the mid-19th century, starting the production of mostarda and liqueurs. The latter, Davide, went on making the Amaretti, locating the business in Saronno in front of the cathedral, at that time served by horse transport. With the advent of the rail transport, Luigi Lazzaroni (son of Davide) joined the company and in 1888 the partners founded D. Lazzaroni & C., intended as both a new legal entity and a new manufacturing facility.
In the following years the company enjoyed great success, making 350 different types of biscuits and exporting its products all over the world; this ambition was well delivered by the brand logo, representing a steam boat. It was in this period that biscuits such as Oswego, Nutritivo, Croccale and Germovita made their debut on the marketplace.
The strength of the Lazzaroni brand drew the attention of the American multinational company Campbell's, which acquired the firm from the Lazzaroni family in 1984 in order to pursue an ambitious internationalization strategy. However, Campbell's plans failed and in 1991 the Italian firm Citterio, renowned producer of ham, salami and fresh pasta, managed to move the company ownership back to Italy.
In 2008 the company was acquired by the Ragosta Group with the goal of rejuvenating the Lazzaroni brand after a strong restructuring process.[2]
Products
-
Amaretti di Saronno
-
Frollini
-
Vintage tin boxes
Lazzaroni's array of products includes, other than the traditional bakery products and the "original Amaretti di Saronno" (sold in the typical litography-decorated tin boxes), also a wide offering of breakfast biscuits and cookies ("frollini"), pastries and pastry assortments. During the holiday periods Lazzaroni also sells the traditional panettone of Milan and the Colomba Pasquale. In 2010 the company introduced a gluten-free product range.
Cultural references
In the novel La caccia al tesoro by Andrea Camilleri, published in 2010, Inspector Montalbano receives an anonymous parcel containing a Lazzaroni litographed box with the words "Fornitori della Real Casa" (literally "Suppliers of the Royal House") on it, a title formerly awarded to manufacturers who became official suppliers for the House of Savoy.[3]
Always in 2010, some red tin boxes of Amaretti di Saronno appeared in a scene of the fantasy film.Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows – Part 1.[4]
See also
- List of Italian companies
References
- ↑ "Lazzaroni: +27% fatturato 2011, si rafforza in mercati emergenti". Milano Finanza. 2012-01-02. Retrieved 2012-01-04.
- ↑ "Citterio vende Lazzaroni: controllo al fondo Ferax". Il Sole 24 Ore. 2008-05-22. Retrieved 2012-01-04.
- ↑ On the web portal Lombardia Beni Culturali it is possible to visualize one of the historical Lazzaroni litographed tin boxes with the writing "Fornitore della Real Casa". "Scatola per biscotti metallica, Davide Lazzaroni (laboratorio)". Lombardia Beni Culturali. 2010-03-25. Retrieved 2010-08-23.
- ↑ "Gli "Amaretti di Saronno" piacciono a Harry Potter". Varese News. 2010-12-01. Retrieved 2010-12-02.