Salumificio Pedrazzoli: interview with Simone Contrari.

Simone is for us the assistant of the Salumificio Pedrazzoli, he is a determined, very professional and competent man. With attention and availability, he answers our questions…

 

Q+ is the luxury food line of the Salumificio Pedrazzoli. It represents a range of superior quality products and has a characteristic packaging with an appealing design. I emphasize superior quality. Because an excellent cured meat corresponds to an excellent package. We received the award for the best packaging of the Zampone Q+ in 2008 at Tuttofood Milan.

The packaging design comes from an idea by the owner about 6 years ago, later developed and now continuously evolving to meet the needs of a niche clientele. For example, the Padus, used to have a square package, while for the past 4 years it has been equipped with a state-of-the-art cylindrical container and will change again over time.
 

The Salumificio Pedrazzoli offers 3 main product ranges: 

- Organic with the Primavera line where all cured meats are organic; without any type of preservative, including gluten-free, a characteristic we discuss here.

- Conventional with the Rossa line with traditional cured meats;

- Luxury Food with the Q+ line featuring extratraditional cured meats;
 

All cured meats are processed using traditional and artisanal techniques.
We are registered with the Celiac Handbook, in fact all products from all 3 lines are Gluten Free.
 

This way we aim to meet the different needs of individual consumers and to reach various types of clientele.
 

Because it is essential to know where the cured meats come from and how they are made. In our production, there are no external companies involved. We are the first in Italy to take care of our products from the raw material: the pigs, to the packaging. The entire supply chain is managed within the family-run company located on the border between Lombardy and Emilia Romagna. It starts from the fields, from the grains for the pigs, and then transforms them into a finished product. We also received the animal welfare award in Paris for non-intensive farming. The pigs are free, on straw bedding and that’s why we call them: “The happy pigs”.
 

From the countryside to the table, the brand is all Pedrazzoli! It is an extra step to make known and appreciated.
 

All products are manufactured by us and cared for throughout the entire supply chain.
 

My favorite is the Padus. The flavor is special, and it is processed entirely using traditional methods without any machinery. It is tied by hand and left to age for 4 or 5 months in a underground cellar, specially made by us for seasoning. Also, I like it because if I have to make a gift and don’t want to bring the usual bottle, the Padus, with its cylindrical and elegant packaging, is a great alternative. It’s a combination of aesthetics and quality. I have to say I love all the products, but if I really have to choose something I like the least, it would be the pancetta coppata.
 

One of the latest items sold was the Salame delle Nebbie, a cured meat made as it used to be done at home. It was launched on the market in August/September 2014. Only the noble parts of the pig are used in its processing. The name refers to the fog that is very present during the cold months in the Po Valley, an inseparable companion of the cured meat tradition.
 

New products are chosen with the aim of differentiating the market with niche items. The Q+ line in particular revisits cured meats that already existed but made in a different way to give them an added value.
 

Apart from classic cured meats, for niche products we try to give names that evoke the typicality and the place of origin. For example, the Gonzaghetta takes its name from the Gonzaga family that ruled Mantua from 1328 and from the municipality of the same name in the same province. Similarly, the name Padus refers to the Po Valley, from the ancient Latin name of the river Po, where fog is often present and where the cured meat traditions take place.
 

It is a nice project that tries to sell organic products within traditional sales points. To avoid contamination with slicers or knives, these products are sold in pre-sliced trays or small packaged pieces. They can be found in the refrigerated counters of butchers and delicatessens in the area. In the retail outlet, the customer can find the indication of the refrigerator where they are located, thanks to some little paw prints drawn on the floor. Here in Verona, we are already present in 3 or 4 points of sale and throughout Italy, in at least 100 stores since early June 2014. 
 

There is a project, for the coming years, to produce cooked ham without preservatives, without nitrites or nitrates of any kind. We will be the first in the world. Of course, it will have a gray color as is right for cooked meat.