An attentive product selection and sustainability: this, in brief, is Versilfood, a Tuscan company that has operated for over 30 years in the selection and distribution of mushrooms, truffles, fresh fruit, and vegetables. Keen to know the latest strategies adopted by the group to address the present crisis, we have interviewed CEO Diego Romanini.
The costs of energy, transport, and raw materials have all increased: how have you addressed the crisis?
During the Covid emergency, we stocked up on food commodities and non-food products: prices couldn’t have been any lower than they were then. In addition, we opted for fixed cost energy supplies which, together with technological investments, have enabled us to quadruple our production and maintain a moderate price target.
How has this period affected you?
In recent years, we have not been idle, and we have planned for the future, by focusing on innovation and sustainability, as demonstrated by our eco bags in recyclable paper and the innovative Dryce optical sorter for the selection of frozen mushrooms. This strategy is now awarding us with excellent results. We are a fast-growing company despite the current difficulties.
How do you communicate with your target market?
We attach a lot of importance to video contents, such as those created in collaboration with food blogger @ katainthekitchen, who presents tasty, no-fuss recipes that enhance the flavours of our product in dishes that are mainly vegetarian. Our intent is to create an all-round experience for our consumers, because our products can be enjoyed at their best, when cooked to perfection.
What are the latest novelties in terms of products?
We have extended our range of ready-to-serve dishes with Trifolato and we have added a line of Prefritti (prefried foods) to our product offering, comprising Polenta Chips and Porcini Mushrooms, tasty products that are easy to prepare, ready in a few minutes and gluten-free: conceived as delicious nibbles to have with an aperitif. But our research is on-going, and there are many surprises in store for next year too.
