The other night I was more then humbled to have been invited to the Bertocchi factory to find
out more in depths what this brand was all about. The factory is located just
around the corner from me in Trawalla Avenue, Thomastown (there is also a Deli
there where you can buy your fresh Bertocchi products from.)
It
is a brand that I got to play with and try out quite a bit at the Pizza
Masterclass, which was held at the offices of the lovelies at Keep Left.
Basically this was a follow on of that night and my love for the product has
grown since that night.
So
when I arrived I was greeted by the lovely Tony from Bertocchi and of course
the super sweet Alice was not far behind me. The night started off in the board
room, which was a room FILLED with awards and appreciations not to mention all
the advertising and places you can see Bertocchi’s advertising.
One
thing I love is how important cleanliness is to the whole team and they really
make sure nothing is contaminated and is clean at all times. I learnt how the
meat is cured and also turned into all my favourite continental yummies.
Heading
out to the warehouse I stood in the place where hundreds and thousands of kg’s
of Bertocchi products are trucked out to the stores for us to enjoy. A sneak
peak of one of the fridges revealed to me just how much meat is made and shipped out
in just one day, which goes to show a lot more people then just little old me
love Bertocchi and its products.
Talking
to Tony I found out that Bertocchi is one of the not so many companies left out
there that WILL NOT cut any corners when it comes to a quality product and they
will NOT add extra water into their products to make their product weigh more
like a lot of other brands on the market do.
Also
I got the chance to take a glimpse into the history of Bertocchi and where it
originated from. Modesto Bertocchi came
to Australia from Tuscany in 1948 with only a single suitcase and a mind full
of ideas and dreams. Little did he know
they would become reality and be a
family company that would continue to grow and be loved long after he passed
away. The company is still now run by two Mr. Bertocchi’s and I think will only
ever be a family run company as the history runs so rich and has always been
run from the Thomastown site.
On
our way back into the boardroom we made a pit stop into the kitchen where there
was a massive fridge FULL of yummy Bertocchi products. Here Tony treated Alice
and myself to some Mortadella and Prosciutto; if dinner was not waiting for me
I could have eaten myself sick!! But
rest assured I was given some to take home and scoff down in the comforts of my
four walls- meaning I will be eating VERY well for the next weeks lunches! I
have hid my package at the bottom of the fridge (where my partner does not
look) so that he doesn’t devour them before I do :-P
Bertocchi
is a brand that is forever growing and will be the main guest at our Christmas
Party at home, as Christmas just is not Christmas without a Bertocchi Christmas
Ham!!
Talking
about the growth of Bertocchi they actually brought out a brand that went under
and that brand is San Marino. It was a SA brand and quite similar to Bertocchi
but very different at the same time. This brand has a lot more continental
products and there is something in there for all tastes. Bertocchi can be found in so many deli's and of course in my regular shopping market Woolworths.
So
I shall now leave you guys so I can finish my prosciutto wrap chicken bites.
