23 flavours of fresh fruit, emptied and filled with the ice-cream obtained from the purest flesh: these are the ‘Fruttini Gelato’ (frozen small fruits), born in 1962 from the brilliant intuition of Matteo Napoli. While preparing the typical creamy dessert fruit, he had the idea of enclosing it in its own shell, so revolutionizing the idea of craft quality ice-cream. In over 50 years of business, the ‘Antica Gelateria Matteo’ in Baronissi (province of Salerno) has consolidated its international reputation thanks to the new generation, too: with fresh forces and will, building a sales network and an ad hoc logistics, it has allowed this product to go beyond the Campania Region in order to reach the whole Italian territory, Europe, and part of the rest of the world.
‘The ones of Fruttini’
Even if it produces more than 20 kinds of fruit, ice-cream in tub, ‘zuccotti’ and ‘spumoncini’, the business of the Antica Gelateria Matteo is concentrated on its ‘Fruttini’. The managers of the company, Paolo Santoprete and Emanuele Remediani, confirm: «We sell only marginally the other products. By now our customers know and identify us as 'the ones of Fruttini'». The qualities which mainly stand out are the visual ones, in addition to the taste which is completely different from the traditional ice-cream, because it acquires the same notes which characterize the fresh fruit at an even greater extent. The managers continue: «We have been the first ones to realize this delicacy, always going in search of the types of fruit which could be enhanced to their better after transforming them into ice cream, such as chestnut, the most refined taste; so, we have gained an experience and a knowledge which have allowed us to refine more and more our basic recipe. What characterizes us is the choice of very high quality raw material».
Towards the increase in exports
The ‘Fruttini Gelato’, served in the best Italian restaurants and especially appreciated in the HoReCa channel, are required by qualified chefs all over the world, and also in very important events, throughout Europe, especially in France and England, as well as in the USA. They are HACCP, EEC, and FDA certified. Santoprete and Remediani specify: «We understand that this percentage will increase, as soon as we can overcome the obstacle of the cost of transport, a real problem for such a product as our one, which must be kept at a controlled temperature. Our desire is to enter two other Countries such as Germany and Spain, but we aim at a turning point in the USA. In addition to maintain and, where possible, improve the quality of our product, we would in fact enter more intensely the European market and, at the same time, get in the market of large-scale retail trade. Proposing to as many people as possible a unique product was the reason which induced us to continue our activities in the sign of excellence and quality. We do not use these words as commercials, but they represent the driving force which induces us to act, day after day, with love for our work. The wonder and surprise felt by people who taste this dessert are evident on anyone’s face and are our greatest satisfaction, what fills us with joy, assuring that our efforts have been repaid».