At Gragnano the production of pasta is an ancient art, heritage of history, culture and traditions. To maintain great quality of industrial production for export, the Coop Pastai Gragnanesi avails itself of state-of-the-art technology by Storci system.
The success of pasta Gragnano, quality district of the province of Naples, is to be found in the centuries-old existence of its milling industry, in its professionalism for the production of dry pasta and in favorable weather conditions. Pure and low in chlorine water flows from the sources of Mount Faito, which gives the final product unique characteristics that deserve the PGI brand Pasta di Gragnano achieved in 2010. “For all pasta factories likes ours which manufacture respecting the most ancient craftsmanship and quality, this certification rewards the sense of belonging to our territory, the work of historical research and recovery of tradition”, says President of Coop Pastai Gragnanesi, Giovanni d’Avino. “Moreover it protects consumers from imitations, allowing them to buy an original product”. The art of making pasta has been passed on from generation to generation, and the ancient techniques are still crucial to obtain a quality product. Among these the bronze draw-plates technique stand out, which gives the pasta the required roughness to “hold in” its seasoning. Ancient techniques include new technologies such as those by Storci, which creates presses for the largest industrial lines in the world for the production of dry pasta.
A new factory
In the 20th century, the confrontation between the artisan production of Gragnano and the rising Northern industry resulted in a drastic decrease of pasta factories from Gragnano. Those who continued the activity targeted on quality and technological evolution of the systems. For several years, in fact, Storci has been providing presses and lines for the production of dry pasta at pasta di Gragnano. More than 70% of local manufacturers use state-of-the-art machines for macaroni, spaghetti, lasagne, nidi, fusilli bucati lunghi, conchiglioni and many other shapes. The latest technology and the best pasta equipment allow maintaining the original production philosophy. “As a result of the restyling of our historic factory, started in 2008 and completed by early 2011, we decided to focus on Storci brand as we believe that it’s the best company in Italy that creates systems for dry pasta”, confirms Giovanni d’Avino, President at Coop Pastai Gragnanesi. “We chose this brand because for us it is synonym of professionalism, reliability and high quality”. During the restructuring following the arson in 2008, the facade of the factory has been preserved as that of 1860, while machinery and interior space have been completely renovated. “Today our machines provide greater production in terms of tons per day”, says Giovanni d’Avino, “without affecting the quality of High-Quality artisan pasta. In addition, to highlight our rebirth, we renewed our products’ packaging by creating a red, blue and white colored design”.
