FABBRI
 

The history: hearth of tradition…
Fabbri was established at Portomaggiore, at the time a small settlement in the Province of Ferrara, in 1905. Its founder, Gennaro Fabbri, who was born in 1860, after acquiring an old drug-store, transformed it into the Premiata Distilleria Liquori G. Fabbri (G. Fabbri Prize-winning Liquor Distillery). At the rear of the shop.

Gennaro started making his special liquors and cordials, including Primo Maggio (1st of May), Amaro Carducci (Carducci Bitter) - names that clearly betray the spirit of the times - and Virov, an egg-nog added with Marsala dessert wine. The firm also handled vintage brandy, imported from Slavonia and aged in kegs, which after World War I, was marketed as Grand Senior Fabbri.

Gradually, the tuns started turning out the first syrups. The first flavours included the now famous Menta (Mint), Granita (Soft Crushed Ice), and Amarena con Frutto (Wild Cherry Syrup with Fruit), sold in demijohns under the firm's label with a courtesy ceramic jar designed by the famous ceramist designer of Bologna, Minghetti. After various trial pieces, the jar was to finally take on its current form and colour with the design by the renowned ceramist of Faenza, Gatti, inspired by ancient blue-and-white Chinese drawings.

The popularity of Amarena Fabbri dates back to the post World War I period, quickly becoming the unmistakable symbol of the firm, a role the product still maintains today thanks to its unique taste and the refined and much-sought-after opalescent glass jar in which it comes. With the economic revival of the 1940s, this "best-seller" was joined by a new range of speciality ice-cream making products.

Once again the innovation was to prove a success. Up till then the artisan ice-cream maker relied on personal inventiveness and traditional ice-cream making recipes. But the times were just ripe for new products and techniques capable of guaranteeing constant quality and maximum hygiene. Fabbri's then new semi-processed products were the right answer to this growing demand for sage, quality ice-cream, yet made according to traditional standards. At the same time they also stimulated the creativity of the ice-cream maker who was thus driven to invent excitingly new flavours to cater to the growing diversification of tastes.

Amarena Fabbri was joined during this period by a whole new line of products called Cremolatissimi (natural ready mixes), products which marked the post-war success of the firm with deli ice-cream makers throughout Italy. Fabbri's commitment to research and development to bring to the artisan ice-cream and pastry making sectors new, genuine, fresh, and high quality products capable of meeting the ever more exacting and changing demands of consumers has since then been unflagging.

Following on its policy of growth and expansion, in 1985 Fabbri acquired Gelito, a company with, at the time, a ten years' experience in the production of semi-processed ice-cream and pastry products. The Gelito line, chiefly marketed through specialized wholesalers, considerably enlarged the range of prime quality products available from Fabbri to master cream makers.

In 1999 the firm decided to change its name from "G. Fabbri S.p.A." to Fabbri 1905 SPA", not only to underscore a glorious and almost century-old tradition but also as a reminder and commitment to never betray its legacy in the future.

Almost a hundred years down the line, Fabbri 1905 is today managed by the fourth generation of its founding family, all its members being keenly engaged in ensuring that the entrepreneurial spirit and energy of its founder are kept alive and strong well into the future and striving to attain ever new successes.

Fabbri today: mind in the future…
Fabbri 1905 S.p.A. is among one of the very few historical firms of Bologna still in the hands of its founding Family, having been successfully passed down from one generation to the other over this long period. This means that its original philosophy is still as alive as ever, the basic values of which may be summed up as:

• the superior quality and genuineness of its products;
• an unceasing attention to the innovation of its production processes;
• consumer friendliness, because providing the consumer with thorough product information is a must for full consumer satisfaction.

It is these values that also go into the firm's smart and refined packaging, which is today completely renewed and which contributes so much not only to Fabbri's image but to its identity as well. It is an identity that the firm has been careful to never betray, because Fabbri has always been equated and can therefore continue to be equated with "prestige made in Italy".

Innovation, however, is indispensable for safeguarding the Fabbri tradition. That is why the firm is in the forefront when it comes to research and development for defending quality. And that's what makes Fabbri an undisputed leader in its market sector.

Fabbri international: offices and markets…
Fabbri 1905 S.p.A. exports its Italian speciality-food culture to countries all over the world, aiming it not only at the end consumer but also at the trade, including restaurants, deli ice-cream parlours and pastry shops, as well as coffee-lounges, tea-rooms, and bars.

The firm operations in seventy countries world-wide through direct importers and three branch companies, one in Germany (G. Fabbri Deutschland), and two in South America (Fabbri Argentina and Fabbri Brazil). It also runs a production plant in Argentina and has a business office in Paris and a direct sales network throughout France.

Petit à petit, le cellier commence à produire les premiers sirops, parmi lesquels les classiques sirops à la menthe, granita, et « l'Amarena au fruit »(Cerise au sirop)que Fabbri vend en dame-jeanne, accompagné d'un pot crée pour l'occasion par le fameux céramiste Mingheti de Bologne. Après divers essais le pot acquiert sa forme et ses couleurs définitives : c'est l'œuvre du très connu Gatti Di Faenza, lequel s'est inspiré des antiquités peintes chinoises au dessin bleu et blanc.Avec la griotte, Fabbri est devenu juste après la guerre, le symbole de l'entreprise, reconnue pour son goût incomparable et pour sa confection opaline très recherchée. Dans les années 40, sur la lancée de la reprise économique, La G.Fabbri présente une nouvelle série de produits : les bases pour les glaces artisanales. C'est encore une fois le fruit d'une bonne intuition : l'artisan glacier qui jusqu'alors s'est basé sur ses propres forces et sur des recettes traditionnelles, cherche de nouvelles technologies lui permettant de garantir une qualité constante et une sécurité d 'hygiène. Les semi-travaillés Fabbri offrent cette garantie et stimulent la créativité. C'est à cette période qu'apparaissent les Cremolatissimi qui avec l'Amarena Fabbri signent le succès de l'entreprise sur le marché artisanal.

A partir de ce moment, l'entreprise travaille pour une recherche et une production « à la mesure des glaciers et des pâtissiers » : produits et semi-travaillés qui offrent la qualité du goût, la fraîcheur et assurent une constance dans le temps. En 1985, la famille acquiert Gelito, une entreprise qui opère déjà depuis une dizaine d'années avec succès sur le marché des semi-travaillés pour glaciers et pâtissiers. L'offre des produits de qualité pour les maitres glaciers s'élargit, les produits Gelito sont destinés aux grossistes spécialisés.En 1999, l'entreprise change sa raison sociale : de G.Fabbri S.p.a elle devient Fabbri 1905 SPA. L'apparition de l'année de fondation dans la dénomination sociale veut en rappeler l'origine, afin de souligner le succès centenaire et la continuité avec le passé. Fabbri 1905 est aujourd'hui gérée par la 4eme génération de la famille qui s'emploie à faire avancer avec succès et cohérence l'idée d'entreprise du créateur.

Fabbri aujourd'hui: l'esprit dans le futur
Fabbri 1905 S.p.A. est l'une des rares entreprises historiques bolognaises à appartenir encore à la famille fondatrice, passant avec brio d'une génération à l'autre. Les valeurs fondamentales de Fabbri sont :

• Qualité et authenticité de ses produits
• Innovation constante du processus de production
• Transparence et informations face aux consommateurs.

D'où l'utilisation d'un packaging particulièrement soigné et raffiné, qui a été complètement rénové et qui constitue l'image de Fabbri, mais aussi son identité. Depuis toujours, fidèle à son identité : Fabbri était et est toujours le prestige du « Made in Italy ». C'est une entreprise toujours à l'avant garde qui par sa recherche d'une amélioration constante de la qualité, domine les marchés sur lesquels elle opère en position de leader.

Fabbri international: succursales et marchés
Fabbri 1905 SPA exporte dans le monde entier la culture alimentaire des spécialités italiennes destinées non seulement au consommateur final mais aussi à la restauration, aux glaceries et pâtisseries artisanales, au monde du bar-café. L'entreprise est présente au niveau international dans presque 70 pays avec des importateurs directs et 3 sociétés : en Allemagne (Fabbri Deutschland), en Amérique du sud (Fabbri Argentine et Fabbri Brésil) et une unité de production en Argentine, en France avec un bureau de représentation à Paris et une organisation de vente directe.