LAquila Importers and Distributors

1
LAquila Importers and Distributors

• Established in 1987
• Partnership between Nadia Luciani Howell and Tony
  Carratelli
• 860 Coronation Road
• Park Royal
• London NW10 7PS Tel
  020-8965-0666
• Fax [phone]
• www.laquila.co.uk email
  info_at_laquila.co.uk

2
Products Supplied

• Truffles
• Wild and Exotic Cultivated Mushrooms
• Sun dried and semi-dried tomatoes/tomato paste
• Char-grilled Mediterranean vegetables
• Speciality olives and olive pastes
• Basil/Rocket concentrate, pesto and paste
• Bruschetta toppings and pasta sauces
• Saffron and smoked paprika
• Risotto kits

3
Markets Supplied

• Food Manufacturing (bulk ingredients bespoke
  products)
• Retail, Multiples, Department Stores, Independent
  Delicatessens and Fine Food
  Shops
• Catering Wholesale
• Mail Order Companies

4
Brands/Trade marks owned

• Truffoil
• La Truffata
• Fresta
• Shake OCini
• Fungi Foray
• Sorriso

5
History of LAquila Importers Distributors

• Nadia Luciani Howell
• From West London, ex Sales and Marketing
  Manager for a food packaging company and
  restaurant owner.
• Tony Carratelli
• From LAquila, Italy ex farmer and electrician
  and also
• restaurant owner.

6
(No Transcript)
7
1987 - 1988

• 1987
• First truffle hunt in LAquila, Italy
• Set up side-line business importing truffles
• Registered LAquila Importers Distributors
• Exhibited at first show in London
• Gained first wholesale customer
• 1988
• Still a side-line business
• Tony set up factory in Italy to process and
  preserve fresh truffles for
• all year round availability
• Introduced various truffle products
• Purchased freehold premises

8
1989

• Nadia employed 50 in LAquila
• Secured sales to Harrods, Selfridges, Caviar
  House and
• numerous catering companies
• Designed gift boxes and recipe booklets for
  truffle products
• Gained a listing in J.Sainsbury
• Developed more sauces and Truffoil (white truffle
  condiment)

9
1990 - 1991

• 1990
• Nadia employed 75 in LAquila
• Launched a range of dried wild and exotic
  cultivated mushrooms
• Designed window boxes and recipe cards for
  mushrooms
• 1991
• Nadia full time in LAquila
• Gained Safeway listing
• Registered various trade marks
• Increased range of dried mushrooms

10
1992 - 1993

• 1992
• Employed first member of staff
• Gained Waitrose listing
• Further expanded range of truffle and wild
  mushroom products
• Redesigned packaging for all products
• 1993
• Employed first packers and Warehouse Manager
  total staff of 5
• Purchased first computer
• Developed business with mail order companies
• Started discussions with food manufacturers about
  dried mushrooms

11
1994

• Employed first sales person and Sales
• Marketing manager total 8 staff
• Launched Sorriso products and trademarked the
• Sorriso name
• Employed designer to design Sorriso logo for
  packaging and labels
• Worked with Italian dried mushroom supplier to
  process them into
• pieces and powder
• Gained first food manufacturing customer
  supplying MS

12
(No Transcript)
13
1995

• Purchased 7,500sq ft freehold in Islington for
  sole purpose of LAquila
• Purchased first van and employed van driver
  total staff 10
• Perfected ingredient range with high purity
  levels and developed food
• manufacturing customer base
• Gained listing with Tesco
• Specialist selection ranges being introduced in
  many multiples

14
1996 - 1998

• 1996
• Launched chargrilled vegetable range under our
  Sorriso brand
• 1997-1998
• Launched Shake OCini (trade marked) porcini
  powder tin shaker.

15
1999 - 2000

• 1999
• Personal situation changed started a family
• Employed Sales and Marketing Director to run day
  to day business
• 2000
• Staff up to 14
• Moved LAquila from Islington to Park Royal to a
  14,500 sq ft
• office and warehouse
• Automated a number of packaging operations

16
2001 - 2002

• 2001
• Launched further range of vegetable ingredients
  as a pesto, cream,
• sauces, etc
• Introduced aluminium pouch packs for catering and
  industrial use.
• Developed semi-dried tomatoes and introduced a
  more industrial
• quality range of toppings for the pizza industry
• Virtually bespoking all ingredients for the food
  manufacturing industry
• Designed LAquila website

17
(No Transcript)
18
2003 - 2004

• Redesigned all retail packaging and updated sales
  literature
• Increased range of retail sized products and
  introduced thermoformed trays of chargrilled
  vegetables
• Drew up plans for complete re-development of
  existing site to increase space three fold

19
(No Transcript)
20
Mission Statement

• To constantly expand and adapt to the
  continuous change in tastes of todays retail
  consumer, the needs of the caterer and food
  manufacturer. As a forward looking business we
  realise that constant development of our
  resources is an essential ingredient in our
  recipe for future success.