The list published is not intended as a purchasing guide but as a helping hand to know where to find experienced people who are able to select and serve premium specialty food. Products that were once sold in several traditional shops, specialized in one sector while today normal trade is specialized in a cross-sector manner. Specialty foods today are sold everywhere, in pharmacies, by street vendors, organized store chains and especially in many delicatessens, butcher shops, bakeries, winery shops and grocery stores. A world that is constantly changing with stores that have become local multipurpose lounge bars, street food providers or wineries … which also look after the preparation and delivery of items to eat in or at home. Many have websites to sell and ship the products directly to Italy and abroad. The difference, the choice and selection is still done by people, by their professionalism, commitment and passion for good things and they select the service that is offered. It is the people that make the difference, then the branded premium products.
To give a list of shops where one can find premium quality products and professionals who can explain them and can establish a relationship based on trust we have started from the book ‘The Gastronomo’ written by Emilio Mazzi and Luigi Veronelli in 1993 from which we then conducted research by interviewing insiders. The full list is published as an appendix to the book Gusto by Food Editore distributed in Italian bookstores and sold on-line at €29. The list includes about 600 stores, listed by region and city, with the opening times, address and phone number. Below we publish the ones in Milan and Rome.
MILAN: Bonardi, Eataly, Eat’s, D’Urso, Il Nuovo Principe, Il Salumaio, Masseroni, Noberasco 1908, Parini, Peck, Pregiati Carni Piemontesi, Raimondi Davide, Rossi and Grassi.
ROME: Angelo Feroci, Antichi Sapori, Bottega Liberati, Bulzoni, Castroni, Cerasari, Conte Laura, De Carolis, Eataly, Ercoli, Feroci, Francesco, Franchi, F.lli Ciavatta, Kitchen, Il Piccolo, L’Angolo delle Bontà, La Fromagerie, La Sorgente dell’Alimentazione, La Tradizione, Le Delizie Alimentari, Paciotti, Piero Costantini, Ricci, Roscioli, Ruggeri, Sapori & Dintorni, Severini, Volpetti.
Which are the best specialized companies that provide premium products to restaurants and retailers? We point out 4: longino.it, jolandadecolo.it, realgroupsrl.it and selectaspa.it.
Some sites for online shopping of gourmet premium products are: cassandra.it, coccole.it, oliocanelli.com, palatifini.it, peck.it and surbit.it. A selection of the best cash and carry wholesalers selling high quality products to the catering and retail sector are: Alta Sfera Alco Rovato, Ergon Sicilia, Cannillo,Arca Rimini, Gruppo Isa, Multicash, Multicedi, Panta Market, Sidal Zona Market, Moderna.