It
all began in 1909 when Ambrogio Cagliari, after a long stay in Brazil and on
the strength of numerous awards for his fine coffee blends, decided to open the
first shop in Modena for roasting and tasting coffee. Today Caffè Cagliari is
an excellence that from the Emilia-Romagna region reaches 40 countries around
the world. One of the few roasting companies that still produces according to
the traditional method of separate roasting. Giampaolo Colletti interviews
Alessandra Cagliari, CEO at Caffè Cagliari for FARE INSIEME
of Giampaolo Colletti
@gpcolletti
Photocredit: Giacomo Maestri e Francesca Aufiero
There is a clock that gives
time to an entire city. And that basically tells all that has been and all that
will be. A beautiful and precious clock, which is a reference point for a
community. To tell the story of Caffè Cagliari and of the enduring bond with
the Emilian land, we must necessarily start from that clock. We are in the
historic building at the entrance to the city of Modena, with the iconic wall
made of coffee beans. However, let's stay on time, but also take a step back.
Indeed, more than one. It all began as far back as 1909 when Ambrogio Cagliari,
in his early twenties at the time, returned to Italy after a long stay in
Brazil. In the plantations in South America Ambrogio developed a passion for
coffee and from a simple labourer he became a great expert in the selection and
roasting of coffee. He won numerous awards for his fine coffee blends. He thus
decided to open his first coffee roasting and tasting shop in Modena (in the
main square, symbol of the city, next to the Cathedral). Already in 1911 the
company won the gold medal at the International exhibition in Genoa. Yesterday
as today, Caffè Cagliari continues to be a business proudly run by the same
family, which is now led by the fourth generation with the same passion as the
past. «We believe in excellence and through our heritage of culture and
tradition we always get the best coffee, supporting research and innovation.
This is why for over a hundred years and through four generations we have been
preserving and handing down the experience and love for coffee», says
Alessandra Cagliari, CEO at Caffè Cagliari. From Modena to the whole world in
the name of coffee. The good coffee based on research, tradition, passion. A
coffee that is made with the heart. Today Caffè Cagliari is present in over 40
countries worldwide with a turnover of around 20 million euros and a team of 80
people between employees and agents. «Ours is the story of an entrepreneurial
success common to many realities in the area thanks to the initiative of a man,
my great-grandfather, who with many sacrifices and a great determination was
able to make his dream come true. Our main objective has always been quality,
in the product and in the service we offer. Authenticity and sincerity are the
values that guide us in our way of doing business», specifies Cagliari.
Story
of a company. The past is to be read in the name of innovations, of an idea of the
future to be pursued with determination. The success achieved in the post-war
period meant that Caffè Cagliari was distributed in various sales channels and
consequently in 1963 the new factory was inaugurated on the Via Emilia,
equipped with an avant-garde production department. In more recent years, i.e.
in 2006, innovation arrived with the special high-pressure valves in the
packages intended for bars. Caffè Cagliari is one of the few coffee roasters
that still produces according to the traditional method of separate roasting.
Every single origin of coffee has different organoleptic properties, which
require different temperatures and cooking times to guarantee the quality of
each bean. The fragrance and aromas of the blends are safeguarded by the most
advanced packaging systems. The innovative high-pressure one-way valve, present
in the packages dedicated to a professional use, keeps the properties of the
coffee unaltered and allows an exceptional result in the cup. The future
belongs to those with a great past. Thus, in 2009, on the occasion of the
hundredth anniversary, the company museum dedicated to coffee machines was
established, an extraordinary collection because it is one of the largest
exhibitions in the world of professional espresso coffee machines with over 120
pieces made from 1900 to today.
The future of coffee. There is a lot of
research behind this company. «It is the dynamic part of the company, which
follows the market inputs. We are working on two fronts: product and process;
we are testing new origins and new combinations through our quality laboratory,
in line with the market trend aimed at experimenting with new alternative
extraction methods to espresso and at looking for new aromas and tastes, such
as the single origins and specialities. There is talk of a fourth wave of
coffee, led by consumers who are more informed and open to innovations and
influences originating from other countries. Then we started a path oriented
towards environmental sustainability and energy efficiency: the new
photovoltaic system led us to 50% self-sufficiency and we are making
investments and changes in the production processes to be able to use new more
sustainable, easily disposable and recyclable packaging systems and materials
that allow at the same time to preserve the quality and organoleptic
characteristics of the product», says Cagliari. Now is the time for a major
renovation, which starts from the refurbishing and expansion of the new
headquarters to the brand new automated warehouse, from the new packaging
systems to the quality laboratory, which will soon be expanded. In the
meantime, the historic headquarters will become a true cultural hub of coffee
and will bring together the Coffee School (Scuola del Caffè) training centre
and the new Coffee Museum (Museo del Caffè). To keep the past and the future
together, living the present to its fullest. Something that only big companies
are able to do.
https://podcast.confindustriaemilia.it/
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