We were in Trentino-Alto Adige to watch the production of Loackers, but we discovered much more about values, family and goodness in the most popular wafers in Italy (and in the world)
If you happen to find yourself in Bolzano, you can't help but notice: around the city you will immediately see the red vans appear here and there. They head towards Auna di Sotto, a place on the Renon plateau. Right there, facing the mountain of the Sciliar, is the establishment that produces the most loved wafers of all, i Loacker.
We got there too, on the Loacker red van. Of this van we discovered a curiosity later, during a nice chat with Andreas Loacker, responsible for the company's research and development, as well as the son of Armin Loacker and grandson of Alfons Loacker, founder of the brand.
Andreas welcomes us with enthusiasm and gets excited immediately at our first question.
Everything is in a Loacker
What has changed in these 90 years of Loacker and what will never change?
«In 1925 my grandfather had opened one small bakery in the heart of Bolzano, where he worked only with 2-3 helpers. His specialty was just wafers. He was very attached to the concept of goodness and passed it on to my father and then to me. We have always tried to pass it on to those who love us through the generations, like life purpose.
The dexterity of those times obviously no longer exists, it has changed thanks to technological innovations. But we chose one technology that helps the raw material, which does not destroy it, but helps it to evolve. This love for the raw material it has never changed in three generations and we still put it in our product. "
How is the raw material valued?
«Little time passes since the moment raw material enters the factory at the time the product is finished, just as happens in confectionery. There are never any processes where semi-finished products are too long: we use only whole Italian hazelnuts, we toast them at home, prepare the cream and put it in the product on the same day, without losing the taste. My grandfather and my father told me that it is important make a product as if you were doing it for friends. We still have this culture today. "
Why the "complicated" choice of using only Italian hazelnuts?
«Even if the company grows, we want the raw materials to become increasingly good. The Loackers Neapolitaner they are so called because their cream was originally made with hazelnuts from the area of Naples. Hazelnut has always been part of Italian cuisine, but we have not gone ahead with development and meanwhile Turkey has overcome us. Historically there are many types of Italian hazelnuts: we want to understand them better and find out more about their varieties. "
Since 2011, Loacker has started the project Italian hazelnuts, to meet the needs of high quality Italian hazelnuts, whose production fails to respond quantitatively to the needs of all the companies that use them. To date, more than 500 hectares have been planted in Loacker-owned farms in Tuscany and projects are planned with Veneto, Friuli Venezia Giulia, Marche and Alto Lazio.
The partnership with Coldiretti Umbria, for the realization of a short hazelnut supply chain, with the aim of increasing the number of plants in the region, offering agronomic advice, initial processing of the product, shelling, final purchase and roasting.
Not just hazelnuts …
«We have plans to cultivate and develop all our raw materials, such as the best vanilla from Madagascar and the cocoa, and at the same time make a social contribution.
The new challenge concerns the milk, another flagship of our territory. We decided to invest in a drying plant, producing our fresh milk from the cows of South Tyrol. The altitude guarantees excellent properties even atwater and, by containing fewer minerals, it helps us make Loacker more brittle. "
Nearly 100 years in the family
At Loacker we immediately felt the atmosphere of family and watch out forenvironment. The waste of resources is avoided even outside the plant. Do you remember i vans of which we spoke before? The company makes them available to employees: those who live farther away take their colleagues on the outward journey and accompany them back, as Andreas recounts.
"The first one was my father, he took people with the van. There were 20. Then he went to the kitchen, preparing food for everyone and eating at 12. Even today we all meet in the canteen at the same tables, without hierarchical differences. "
It is still early to have any anticipation on the centenary of Loacker, but there are already some ideas. «Personally, like Andreas, I have a dream: our family it has spread to the whole world and it would be nice if even the festivities involved everyone, without fireworks, but with so much sincerity and union. I have some ideas … I think of the Sciliar, which has been around the world on our packages … .
It doesn't reveal anything else, but we already know how to make a snack in the wait!
This recipe has already been read 257 times!