Rome, 10 May. (beraking latest news/Labitalia) – Grancereale turns 35. The historic brand of the Barilla Group, born in 1989, is the only one in Italy to offer an entire range of biscuits with 100% vegetable ingredients. Always committed to making products with wholemeal flour, promoting a daily dimension in balance between taste, movement and nature, Grancereale celebrates the milestone of 35 years of life by launching 2 new references: Grancereale Caffè (with 100% arabica coffee and dark chocolate with cocoa from Ecuador) and Grancereale Mandorla salata (with salted almond and dark chocolate with cocoa from Ecuador). The two new biscuits come in a 280 gram bag packaging, under the claim “100% vegetable ingredients”, ideal as the protagonists of breakfast or as a snack during the day. Furthermore, the entire line of biscuits will have a new aesthetic, with packaging in brighter colours, a new pattern characterized by the explosion of grains and seeds that recall energy and taste.
The idea of the two new references was born from the brand’s desire to take a further step forward in innovation by creating two new distinctive flavours. The project took its first steps at the end of 2022 and required research and development work to achieve a desired authentic taste profile. The peculiarity of the biscuits and the Grancereale brand lies, in fact, in the recognisability of the ingredients that are part of them: for this very reason, the mixing sequence has also been designed to preserve their visibility in the finished product. For Grancereale Mandorla salata, the size of the almonds guarantees visibility and organoleptic recognition when chewed. While for Grancereale Caffè, the botanical origin of the 100% Arabica raw material is a guarantee of balance and softness of taste. As with the entire Grancereale line, the production steps involve dosing the ingredients, mixing them, shaping (printing the shape and logo), cooking and packaging.
“The distinctiveness of Grancereale derives precisely from the combination of identity and recognisability of the ingredients, all of 100% vegetable origin with 100% Italian wheat – comments Andrea Capano, marketing manager of Grancereale. Furthermore, the reduced thickness of the biscuit enhances its crunchy characteristics, ideal for consumption at breakfast. The cocoa beans from Ecuador, however, allow our products to have a particularly harmonious and balanced taste.”
Grancereale was born in 1989 as one of the first wholemeal biscuits with Mulino Bianco cereals. Over the years the range grows and in 2011 it becomes a brand with its own identity, to the point of being today an iconic and distinctive brand thanks to its “unprocessed” appearance which recalls nature. One of the first brands in Italy to have talked about pleasure linked to nature, it is also the only one to offer an entire range of biscuits with 100% vegetable ingredients. Always committed to making products with wholemeal flour, it promotes a daily dimension in balance between taste, movement and nature. To date, the brand offers the consumer a range of products that includes cereal biscuits and bars for a total of 14 references.
Recently, the brand inaugurated a new chapter with an on-air poster spot on generalist and satellite TV, created by the Marimo agency, dedicated to those seeking joy, emotion and enjoyment through nature, in line with the brand’s identity. The objective is to weave a deeper relationship with the consumer, through the new payoff “You feel nature”, a sensorial, perceptive and empathetic claim, promoting a lifestyle in balance between taste, well-being and nature.
The brand is the official partner of Orticola 2024, the most famous large botanical exhibition-market in Italy which will liven up Milan from 9 to 12 May (in the heart of the Indro Montanelli Public Gardens).
Grancereale is present in space n.100 (110 m2 near the entrance to Piazza Cavour) with an unprecedented sensorial journey to discover the two new products that have just arrived on the shelves. The space is divided into three corners: La Serra, dedicated to workshops and tastings, Il Grancereale Caffè to also taste new products, accompanied by a hot or cold drink and a “labyrinth” installation to accompany guests in discovering the soul 100% vegetal, a true multi-sensory experience that involves eyes, smell and taste.
Guests will find a QR Code at the Grancereale Caffè and at the exit of the installation, with which to register to receive an exclusive bag with the tasting of the two new products. Furthermore, for the more curious it will be possible to take part, every day, in workshops dedicated to “100% vegetal” between food and photography, in the company of photographers Bruno D’Amicis and Luca Locatelli of National Geographic to learn how to capture details most fascinating of nature with your smartphone and of the food creators Elisabetta & Federica Pennacchioni (Il Goloso Mangiar Sano) and Carlotta Perego (Cucina Botanica) to explore recipes and ideas for a plant-based breakfast with the public.
From June 18th to October 19th, consumers can participate in the competition to win fantastic prizes. By purchasing a Grancereale product (including the bars and the new references in the premium bags) it will be possible to win a masterclass every week with a National Geographic photographer to be held at the Monte Genzana Reserve in Abruzzo, or a camera. The instructions for participating in the competition are present on all packs of the Grancereale line.
All the biscuits in the Grancereale range are produced in the Castiglione delle Stiviere (MN) factory, a cutting-edge production site which has stood out for excellence and quality for more than 40 years. Castiglione is one of the key factories for the Barilla Group’s bakery sector, with 11 production lines that give life to 103 references and a total of 105,000 tonnes of products baked over the course of a year. It is here that the symbolic references of Italian breakfasts and snacks are born, with 10 billion biscuits, over 1 billion crackers and 1 and a half billion puff pastries from the brands most loved by Italians, produced every year: Mulino Bianco, Pan Di Stelle , Pavesi and Grancereale.
If all the products made each month were lined up, the distance to the equator would be covered, i.e. 40 thousand km. Since the 1980s, Barilla has made it the largest bakery plant in the Group which contributes to the development and well-being of the Mantua area, also thanks to the work and opportunities it offers to the community.
In 2023, 12.6 million euros were invested to expand the production line dedicated to snacks and install a new line dedicated to biscuit packaging. Today it employs around 400 people, of 15 different nationalities. The Barilla factory in Castiglione delle Stiviere is led by a woman, Cinzia Bassi, who has worked for the Group for 23 years. Furthermore, 62% of the plant’s top management team is held by women, a figure that illustrates Barilla’s commitment to enhancing female talent.