QUALITALY 138

Januar y/Februar y 2024 IV MAGAZINE money? Rather charge for it separately. Wine list with affordable options. This is a sensitive topic because especially in fine dining (but not only) wine can drive up the bill, and by quite a lot. The wine list is not to be touched, it is important to have it, but provide a range of affordable options, from small, lesser-known but quality producers. Wine pairing a jinx? In fine dining it is a little, because tasting menus seem to be made to discourage the pairing of a single bottle. But aren’t they too expensive? Especially if beer and kombucha are included in addition to great wine, as is the custom these days. The human factor. In the end, it seems trivial, but it makes a world of difference. The smile in the dining room, however, should be genuine with a non-toxic and inclusive working environment that avoids exhausting or broken shifts. __________________________________ AT PAGE 18 FOCUS ON Mushrooms: a Horeca favourite A MARKET THAT SEEMS TO HAVE NO CRISIS DESPITE CLIMATE VARIATIONS AND FLUCTUATING PRICES. A SECTOR THAT IS EXPANDING THANKS ALSO TO THE PROFESSIONALISM OF SOME COMPANIES THAT FOLLOW THE PRODUCT THROUGHOUT THE SUPPLY CHAIN, GUARANTEEING ABSOLUTE QUALITY AND PRECISION IN DELIVERIES by Maddalena Baldini A coveted and sought-after fruit of the earth, not always available and not always cheap. Thus mushrooms, especially porcini, but also champignons, chanterelles and Caesar’s mushroom become a precious treasure on the tables of restaurants and trattorias. The year 2023 has been classified as ‘swinging’ year because, as a natural product, mushrooms are subject to a series of natural influences, primarily the climate, unlike farmed mushrooms, which are always of high quality and readily available. The data reported by Coldiretti in September 2023 described a natural scenario that was recovering after the low rainfall of the winter: between spring and summer, rainfall was abundant compared to the historical average, with an increase of 10-15%. A climatic context - obviously referring to the natural harvest - that made the soils moist and subject to mild temperatures. The result was a +20% increase in mushrooms compared to the previous year. A NICHE MARKET IS LOST Nicola Pelizzaro , Sales Director of Conserve Bonetto, a company in the province of Vicenza, provides an insight into the mushroom processing and preservation sector in a changing market with several challenges. “Apart from the ever-loved porcini and champignon mushrooms, information and demand for different varieties of wild mushrooms, which once represented an important consumer niche, has declined in recent times. These varieties have been replaced by cultivated mushrooms, which are easier to find and cost less”. BALANCED CONSUMPTION AND AN EYE ON PRICES Horeca continues to have a good demand for the product and, it is exactly the consumption of mushrooms, whether wild or cultivated, which is the strong point to invest in, despite the countless and unpredictable price variations. “The high prices that have hit us have, in part, conditioned the market but, fortunately, the value and goodness of mushrooms have been stronger, keeping eating out consumption in balance,” explains Pelizzaro and, while on the question of prices, he adds: “It must be pointed out that in cultivated products, variations in the purchase price of the ingredient, although with double-digit percentage increases, have a slight effect on the consumer as the price of the same is relatively low. It’s a different matter for wild mushrooms, as climatic conditions and geopolitical situations in the countries where the ingredient is most available affect the value”. The Commercial Director of Conserve Bonetto makes another analysis that leaves room for much reflection: “I would like to make a point that could generate more than one grievance, but which is shared by many colleagues in the sector, namely that average prices in the agri-food industry at supply chain level were too low in the past, and indeed, the increases of recent years have not affected volumes in general”. CHANGE THE TASTE AND THE PACKAGE Tastes, compared to the past, when people preferred a less elaborate product, are changing and today people are looking more for a sophisticated product, with good presentation, pleasing both to the eye and to the palate. In addition, the packaging with which the products are stored is also undergoing an evolution. “Usually, processed mushrooms have always been stored in airtight tins, which is so popular in Italy that other formats are not accepted. Recently, however, things are changing and mushroom storage in pouches is gaining ground, a more practical solution as it reduces disposal, transport and storage volumes and there is less waste of preserving liquids. In short, all this means an environmental benefit and an economic benefit for the whole sector. BRAND STRENGTH Excellence and professionalism, as well as the ability and opportunity to work to recognise and consolidate the Qualitaly brand at both national and international level. On these assumptions, Conserve Bonetto has started a collaboration with CIC, so as to become part of the group of suppliers. “I think that the Brand Qualitaly project represents an important innovation in the sector, that’s why the commitment to be among the chosen companies was so great,” explains Pelizzaro and concludes: “Our relationship with the professionals of CIC is consolidating day after day, so that a company like Conserve Bonetto can