What was your best move last year?
Diego Pariotti: ”I realised that the most important market for Italian tomatoes outside Italy was missing a real Italian brand.
”I mean a brand produced with 100% Italian raw materials, sold in Italy, even before Italy became a nation. Loved and consumed by Italians every day on their table, Cirio is now the first authentic Italian brand of tomatoes on the UK market.
What would you do differently?
“Until now, we have basically been talking to foodies, letting the quality of our tomatoes speak for themselves. It’s now time we talked louder to our British consumers to let them understand that we are a co-operative of farmers. Our farmers come from all over Italy, and obviously our target is to protect the environment in which we operate.
What is your next move?
“Communication and innovation, primarily. It’s not a coincidence that we are in Parma at the Alma International School of Italian Cuisine. I am so proud that Alma has chosen Cirio to be its official partner. With their qualified help in our R&D, we can combine the best ingredients with the best minds in cooking, here in Italy but also overseas. We will be able to offer a new experience to both our foodservice customers and to our retail distribution.
“We’re always at the cutting edge of innovation.”
