It was 1905 when Gennaro Fabbri bought a small grocery store in Portomaggiore, in the province of Ferrara. Soon, the grocery store became a distillery named ‘Premiata Distilleria G. Fabbri’. The liqueurs produced soon became successful: Amaro Carducci, Primo Maggio and Gran Senior Fabbri were created in this shop. The real turning point, however, came in 1915 with a recipe by Rachele Buriani, Gennaro’s wife. It was she, in fact, who first experimented with ‘Marena con frutto’, a recipe based on sour black cherries cooked together with a mixture of herbs and spices, a recipe that is still the Fabbri family’s secret today.
An iconic package and a bar open 24/7
In the 1920s, a collaboration began with the Gatti ceramics workshop in Faenza. A jar commissioned by Gennaro as a gift for his wife was to become the iconic Fabbri Amarena cherries package, which remains unchanged to this day with its blue designs on a white background.
In the 1930s, liqueur cherries were launched, the product range expanded with jams, and Gennaro’s sons – Romeo and Aldo – played an increasingly important role in the company. In 1935, Gennaro bought the Bar Centrale in Bologna, in the city’s centre. The bar – unusual for the time – remained open 24 hours a day and soon became a meeting place for the city’s bourgeoisie and business people.
Ice Cream School
In 1947, Fabbri became a joint-stock company, and in the 1950s, it further expanded its production with semi-finished preparations for artisan gelato, opening the doors to the Made in Italy gelato market. The product was promoted in an innovative way through a series of ‘trucks’ scattered throughout the territory, teaching gelato makers and pastry chefs how to make excellent gelato with Fabbri’s preparations.
Communication and art
From the very beginning, the company stood out for its innovative communication. It was present in Carosello with the adventures of ‘Salomone il Pirata Pacioccone’, a character still alive in the memory of many Italians. The company continued to invest in the television medium in the decades to come, hiring famous directors for its commercials. Moreover, Fabbri has a privileged connection with art; in fact, every year, it gives the Fabbri Prize for Art.
To celebrate the company’s 100th anniversary, a special, all-female edition of the award was held.
Fabbri today
In the 1960s, production was transferred to Anzola Emilia, in a factory that is still active today and covers an area of over 180,000 square metres. This period also saw the beginning of the expansion into foreign markets, which was consolidated in the 1980s.
Today, Fabbri is managed by the fourth generation of the family. It distributes its products in over 100 countries, has 1,300 products, 17 production lines, and 10 locations worldwide.
Congratulations to those who bring the originality of Italian flavours to the whole world!
Discover other outstanding companies of Emilia Romagna.