Qualitaly_122

APR. MAY. 2021 III recent years the company has also added a line of frozen products with particular reference to the sector of quality pastries. All of this in the name of a constant search for exclusive products in the area. A choice well represented by the Cooperativa Italiana Catering branded references: Qualitaly, Tavola Viva, Il Gelo. Initiatives and requirements to overcome the crisis To compensate for the huge losses caused by the pandemic, the company has diversified its business and therefore its product range, developing an e-commerce service that allows users to shop online and receive it at home in a short time. It must be said, however,” complains Il Pascolo Verde, “that unfortunately all this has not been accompanied by any help from the state: having achieved a turnover of more than 10 million euros in 2019, the company was excluded from the latest Support Decree of 2021, which sets this threshold as the maximum limit for access to non- repayable contributions. And all this despite the fact that the restaurant sector is among the most penalised during the health emergency. We talk about closed restaurants,” is the outburst of Il Pascolo Verde, “for which subsidies have been launched, but behind these there is an entire supply chain that has so far not been taken into consideration and that is suffering heavy economic damage. This is clearly a negative state of affairs, but one that could soon be reversed: if May, as now seems likely, is the month of recovery, the entire sector will get back on track. New Vecagel Range and strengths It has been operating in the food service sector for over 20 years. It guarantees an extensive delivery service throughout the Ionian coast of Sicily, serving restaurants, pizzerias, hotels, B&Bs, canteens and cooking centres. Specialised in the distribution of frozen and fresh products, with particular attention to frozen and fresh fish and national and international meat, also in single-portion packages, today it is a safe and reliable partner for leading Italian and European producers, including, to name but a few, Orogel, Lutosa, Surgital, Polenghi, Cirio and Coati. These names are flanked by other important local products, custodians of the Sicilian gastronomic tradition. One of the company’s strengths is its range: under the guidance of founder Vincenzo Santapaola, New Vecagel has been able to adapt its offerings to the new demands of the HoReCa channel, expanding the range with innovative products and a high level of service. Constant training of the sales force, respect for the cold chain, also guaranteed by an adequate fleet of isothermal vehicles for the transport of frozen and fresh products, and great availability have also contributed to constant and uniform growth in Sicily. Finally, the company can count on its modern plant in Catania, which is located in a strategic position for reaching motorway junctions, the city and its hinterland. Initiatives and requirements to overcome the crisis The new website, and in particular its e-commerce section reserved for coded customers and organised to complete the order collection service within 24 hours, allows the company to reach even dark kitchens and customers operating in restricted access areas, i.e. red zones, thus stemming the loss of turnover caused by the prolonged closures of public premises. The context, however, remains difficult: “We complain about the total lack of aid to the category”, is the appeal of New Vecagel, “which has been isolated from any kind of relief”. But once again it is proving to be a healthy link in the chain, ready to take advantage of the wind of recovery that operators have been preparing for some time. And that, according to accredited studies such as the one conducted by Repower-Sole 24 Ore, will pass through security, digital communication (menus and reservations), customer loyalty, space optimisation, adoption of technologies for distancing and enhancement of delivery services. AT PAGE 10 HEALTHY EATING SUPERFOOD... and a happy reopening to all! It’s back to a healthy start. At the table, for your aficionados, don’t forget to offer ‘superfoods’, healthy friends and a new source of business for operators in the sector. by Barbara Panterna Are you ready for reopening? Aperitifs in the open air on summer evenings, dinners with friends, lunch breaks with work colleagues... we have never missed them more than in these long months of restrictions. We have almost become accustomed to a monotonous, solitary life, because the survival instinct inherent in every human leads to adaptation. We have adapted to no longer touching each other, to spying on each other to see which of us is following new rules (some of which make little sense). We have become accustomed to eating alone, to working alone, we almost believed that we could be satisfied with this half-life, but deep inside each of us, a discomfort has been created and, as I wrote in the previous article, this malaise, this social mortification to which we have been forced, has led us to abuse comfort foods (sweets, chocolate, etc.) and too much time spent at home has led us to consume more than we needed. Now we find ourselves, to a greater or lesser extent, at the longed-for “reopening” which corresponds to the resumption of social life, with a few extra kilos and various aches and pains. So we either take the usual drastic diets or, for the more informed, we start purifying programmes and radically change our habits, starting with a healthy diet in search of ‘curative’ foods. So why not use superfoods in restaurants too? LET’S SEE WHAT THEY ARE Superfood is a commercial term used to identify a food product