SPAR Italy partner Maiora has launched two new instore food production sites for bakery and delicatessen, as well as an instore fresh fish platform. These new sites will supply daily fresh products to company-owned SPAR stores across six Italian regions. Maiora’s company-owned SPAR store network comprises 89 stores, with about 2000 team members in the regions Apulia, Basilicata, Campania, Calabria, and Abruzzo.

The bread production facilities are located at the INTERSPAR stores in Modugno and near the airport of Pescara. The fish site is located at the INTERSPAR store in Corato, Bari. SPAR bakers use the best ingredients and traditional methods to prepare local favourites and enhance the product offering at SPAR stores. Similarly, the new fish production platform promotes a large offering of high-quality fresh food that fits well with local culinary traditions.

The fish preparation site at INTERSPAR Corato, operating since July, supplies fish counters daily at 33 company-owned stores across Maiora’s DESPAR, EUROSPAR, and INTERSPAR formats. With a capacity of up to 4,000 cases (20 tonnes) a day, the platform handles a wide variety of fresh fish, including both import and locally farmed produce. Particular attention is paid to local fish and seafood, in line with the company’s strategy of preferring local suppliers.

Local culinary traditions

The instore bakeries are part of the company’s Storie del Gusto initiative, promoting local culinary traditions. Bread and bakery products are skilfully prepared for each of the six regions, in keeping with their specific traditions and culinary heritage. Special Storie del Gusto branding has been developed to wrap bread and other specialties produced at SPAR stores.

Specialised staff training is an important element of these two food production facilities, where experienced bakers prepare the most fragrant breads. A traditional method, using traditional starter dough biga, involves about 48 hours of slow rising in some cases. This enhances the taste and texture of the bread.

Promoting skill development

About 20 people work at the bakery production sites, including bakers and bread packers. All of them were trained ‘on the job’, as the company places great importance in developing skills and talents among its teams, by continually investing in its people. Earlier this year, SPAR Italy started a partnership with Retail Institute to further enhance the scope of staff training, in line with SPAR’s values of placing people at the centre of the business.

Pippo Cannillo, President and CEO of Maiora, commented on the new production sites: “The bakery and fishmonger counters are two fundamental departments in our culinary tradition. Therefore, improving our offering through technology and logistics provides not only an additional service to our customers, but it also pays a real tribute to our bountiful land.”

Source: SPAR Centre-South Italy Partner, Maiora

Read about the national results for 2020 issued by SPAR Italy.

About SPAR Italy

SPAR Italy, known locally as DESPAR Italia, was first granted the SPAR Brand’s licence in 1959. The first store opened in 1960. With it, SPAR became the first partnership of retailers and wholesalers to operate in the country. In addition, SPAR Italy licenses regional partners, all of whom work together to grow the brand across the country.

The DESPAR Partners operate stores under three formats: DESPAR Neighbourhood Supermarkets, EUROSPAR Supermarkets, and INTERSPAR Hypermarkets. Many of the larger format stores are company-owned, reflecting the scale of investment required. While the company achieves most of its turnover through these larger format stores, the independently owned neighbourhood supermarkets remain vital.