Inspiration for Longford bakery celebrating 20 years came from 'special' trip to Italy
The business idea came from a trip to San Vincenzo, a small town in the Tuscan Region
It was in 2004, when Jacinta Darmon travelled to San Vincenzo, a small town in the Tuscan Region of Italy, to work with a local artisanal family Baker.
It was there where the gentle fermentation technique known in Italy as BIGA was discovered, which set in train the a opportunity to 'create something really special here in Longford'.
The BIGA process consists of a simple recipe of high-quality flour, water and a pinch of yeast which is then allowed to ferment over a long period which makes our breads much lighter, tastier and easier to digest.
Jacinta was so impressed by the quality of the breads that she convinced the founders to design a €25 million purpose-built bakery capable of manufacturing Italian Style Speciality breads.
Upon reflection, Jacinta said, "It was a brave move alright. I remember returning to Ireland determined to scale the Italian BIGA process and create something really special here in Longford.
"The company founders at that time were great visionaries, and they fully bought into the potential."
She got her way, and in 2005, with great support from Longford County Council and Enterprise Ireland, the most modern bakery in Europe was completed, without a single order on the books!
The very first product developed was the Panelto Panini with its renowned honeycomb structure and unique flavour and texture.
It was first launched in Asda in 2005 and later launched in the top four retailers in Ireland and the UK. Twenty years later, it is Panelto’s biggest selling product.
The addition of another new production line in 2014 and then again in 2018 doubled the capacity of the Longford bakery facility bringing a new and innovative range of loaves and baguettes to the market.
Today, Panelto is a twenty-four-seven operation, with over one hundred products and a workforce of just under four hundred personnel.
Over that time, Panelto has grown its market share in the Irish and UK Markets, through its reputation for continuous innovation and for its consistency in producing high quality specialty breads. CEO of Panelto Foods, Garry Walsh said, “It is a wonderful milestone for all of us at Panelto Foods.
"We have great customers, a well invested plant, but our success over the last twenty years is testament to the commitment of our team.
"Every achievement, every challenge overcome, and every innovation has been made possible by their talent and dedication. We truly have a wonderful team here spanning forty-one nationalities as of today. It’s a proud moment for us all for sure”.