Fabbri: Over a Century of Italian Tradition

By Donna Domiano

Fabbri 1905 of Bologna, Italy is a 104-year-old world renowned, family owned company that manufactures all natural fruit, nut pastes and syrups for use in the production of gelato, ice cream, semi freddo, pastries and beverages. For four generations, the Fabbri family has been able to produce its high quality, natural products while keeping true to the values and teachings of its Italian traditions.

Gennaro Fabbri was born in 1860, the year that Bologna became part of the Kingdom of Italy. He was born of a generous land where many of its people had learned to unite commercial spirit with peasant wisdom. In 1905, in Portomaggiore, Italy, Fabbri obtained a loan of 3,000 lire from his brother to buy an old drug store with production facilities, thus forming the Premiata Distilleria. He behaved as many Italians in similar situations did by going to his family to ask for the loan. For centuries in Italy the family had been the first and most natural source of finance for those in need of credit. His brother, Antonio, lent him the money with no interest and was paid back within five years. Fabbri founded a business that would pass the threshold of the century and the next millennium, thus joining the ranks of Italians who had seen the 20th century as the century of progress and industry.

The Premiata Distilleria grew and reaped success. The first two liqueurs were immediate hits with the public. “Virov” was a zabaglione liqueur flavored with Marsala and the much-celebrated “Gran Senior Fabbri” was a special cognac, aged in Slovenian oak casks.

With his success, he decided to expand his market and production. His decision to head for Bologna was a crucial one. At the start of the 20th century, the city had experienced a period of great activity and industrial recovery. It was here that Fabbri transferred his headquarters and production site in 1924. He purchased a building in what was then the district of Borgo Panigale. Complete with land and a warehouse, this is still the company’s headquarters today.

During the post-war era, Fabbri’s most famous product made its debut. The Amarena cherry, which grows in northern Italy, is a bitter cherry. In its natural state, the cherry, much like a crab apple is not edible. Fabbri’s wife Rachele created a technique to cook and candy this cherry, inspired by a recipe for “marena con frutto” (fruit marena). The Amarena became an immediate success! As an affectionate gift to his wife for inventing this new product, Fabbri commissioned a ceramic jar to be created to accommodate the cherries. The famous ceramic artist Gatti of Faenza made the unmistakable blue and white decorated jar. The amarena jar became the symbol of the Fabbri Company. It immediately became a feature on bar counters the length and breadth of Italy. At that time, no one could have foreseen that the jar would lead to Fabbri becoming a household name all over the world.

During these years, the second generation made its appearance. Fabbri’s sons, Romeo and Aldo, played an active part in developing the business. They helped their father to create a marketing strategy that was revolutionary at that time. Aldo and Romeo traveled around Italy, advertising the Fabbri brand in two legendary cars, the Isotta Fraschini, “car of the stars”, and the Itala, driven in the famous Paris-Peking rally of 1907. Business really began to take off…

The 1930’s marked the arrival of Amarena cherry liqueur, which was an instant success. Production continued to expand, especially of the natural fruit jams that were to become all-important products during the war years. The company was taken over entirely by Fabbri’s sons in 1933.

The war years and the post-war period were difficult times for Fabbri, as well as the rest of Italy. Yet after the bombing and inevitable consequences of war, production picked up again at full speed. Fabio and Giorgio, grandsons of the founder, took on a leading role in the company. A turning point was approaching; one that would conquer the international market: It was the breakthrough into the world of gelato shops.

The company began producing “cremolati”, the first semi-finished mixes for artisan gelato producers. They were an overwhelming success and opened up a new market for Italian gelato manufacturers. The unique way in which these new products were launched deserves a mention. Traveling “training laboratories” were set up in vans, fitted with the latest equipment, which journeyed through Italy publicizing the company’s image. The idea was to show how to make high-quality homemade gelato using Fabbri’s semi-finished products.

It was the pioneering nature of the Fabbri’s whom developed a variety of new products that enabled professionals to enrich and vary their menus. Among the new products were Mixybar, all natural fruit concentrates for Italian sodas, iced teas, cocktails and granitas, and Mixycafe, a line of delicious flavors for coffee, hot chocolate, cappuccino and hot tea.

A long with their delicious, high quality products, Fabbri offered professional training. In 1996, SPIGA (Fabbri Master Classes) was founded as a permanent international school of artisan gelato making and confectionery. Since then many different courses have been created and developed (ice cream making, pastry courses, confectionery and professional bar work) and a great many artisans have taken part in these programs to learn and expand their menus.

The year 2005 marked the company’s 100th anniversary. It was celebrated country wide with events and competitions. There were hundreds of articles and television reports honoring Fabbri during its centennial year. A great many Italians were reminded of their fondest childhood memories of Fabbri Amarena. That same Amarena which was created by Rachele Fabbri a century before, was now the recognized symbol of a company which was exporting its products to 80 countries.

The founder’s great grandsons, Umberto, Nicola, Paolo and Andrea Fabbri, now run Fabbri. They realized the importance of the American market and in 2007, the Fabbri family in partnership with long time family friend and business partner Bob Bruno, created Fabbri North America. As President and CEO of Fabbri North America, Bruno established a training and technical center in Maspeth, NY. Deciding that it was imperative to give education to all of the American Fabbri clients, Bruno set up a network of Fabbri importers across the country. These importers are responsible for the support, training and technical advice for their clients. Just like the Italian tradition of family, these distributors have become a nationwide extension of the Fabbri family. Every week there are classes and seminars held throughout the U.S. to assist clients in the art of true Italian confectionery.

For over a century, Fabbri 1905 has been contributing to the advancement and distinction of the “Made in Italy” taste by exporting Italian tradition all over the world. Perhaps Fabbri did not have this in mind when, in the dim and distant beginning of the century, he began to produce and retail liqueurs and cordials. Nonetheless, Fabbri has grown world wide as the leader in natural fruit and nut pastes for gelato, pastries and beverages.

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This entry was posted on Friday, July 31st, 2009 at 12:28 pm and is filed under Food, Summer. You can follow any responses to this entry through the RSS 2.0 feed.