Carlo Pignataro, Business Development-Middle East, tells Hotel & Catering News ME all about the award-winning baking products and the challenges of their brand, Moretti Forni.
- Can you please tell us more about your company, role?
Moretti Forni is the leading Company in the field of baking technologies for leavened products. Since 1946, our mission is to provide the perfect baking experience thanks to SmartBaking®: the ideal balance between innovation and experience.
Along with my colleague Giorgio, I am the person responsible for the Middle Eastern market. We are based in Dubai, and we ensure the brand is represented properly and extensively across the distribution channels throughout the region, and amongst design consultants, contractors, international chains, end-users etc.
We’ve been doing this for over 6 years, and I must say the level of respect and recognition of the brand in this part of the world is exceptional, and of course very satisfying.
- What are some of the unique advantage points of your brand and how does it stand out in the Hospitality/Catering landscape?
First off, is the reputation of the brand, always associated with impeccable performance and longevity of the equipment. I’ve personally met countless end-users happily working daily on the same oven for 10, 15, and even 20 years.
Second, is the range of products available which enables us to service a variety of pizza and bakery businesses with our lines of deck and convection ovens, of American style international chains with our lines of conveyor ovens, of fine dining establishments with our ground-breaking electric Neapolitan-inspired pizza oven Neapolis (baking at a temperature of 510 centigrade degrees) but also the ultra-high-end domestic market with Proven.
Finally, is the company’s total dedication to heat. Our product development philosophy is built upon the idea that heat is an ingredient that contributes to the overall quality of the food that is baked, and thanks to our patented technologies, all developed in-house, we can ensure ours is the best ingredient in the market.
And if I may add one last thing making Moretti Forni stand out, is the dedication, professionalism, and tightness of the team.
- What will be the biggest challenge for your sector in the months ahead?
As we speak, in mid-August 2021, the supply chain is still quite a challenge. As you know raw material has become scarce and extremely expensive, and the same applies to logistics.
At the same time, a swift recovery of several economies, and the fact we kept innovating, made us experience tremendous growth in demand. I am proud to say my colleagues in the head office have adapted quickly to this new reality and things are now almost back to normal.
- How have you evolved this year and how has the pandemic transformed your strategy?
To start with, we haven’t stopped investing and innovating.
The brand has significantly grown its online presence and we have added new strategic products to our range, like the new S50E, an incredibly performing deck oven of small size, which makes it an extremely versatile machine.
We have also strengthened and enlarged our collaboration with some of the most reputed pizza (and not only) chefs in Italy and abroad, not just to grow the popularity of the brand, but most importantly to develop new products, and new features in existing products, that really help chefs make better food.
- What is in the pipeline for your company and its product offering
Despite the uncertainty ahead of us, the Company is growing double digits and the management is committed to supporting such growth with investments across the board.
An example is our presence at the HOST exhibition taking place in Milano in October this year. Being there, for us, is not only a way to meet our international clients (or at least those who will choose to travel) but also a way to show our support to the exhibition sector, which has always been instrumental to our industry.
We’ve also developed a lot of written and video material in support of our products, and the Road To Smart Baking kit: a glass decal and plaque that can be found in each of our ovens and that can be shown in our client’s restaurant/pizzeria/shop.
In addition, our brand new website www.morettiforni.com is comprehensive of everything the company is and does.
At a regional level, we have invested significantly in Saber, the certification Saudi Arabia requires for any imported product. I can proudly say we can supply our Saudi clients a full range of deck and conveyor ovens, and of course our best-selling Neapolis.
I also expect new products, and new additions to existing lines being introduced this year, perhaps at HOST….?
Stay tuned.
