HOME

SERVIZI

BLOG

ABOUT

CONTATTI

Grazie - 'illytude' my world of scent

I vibrantly remember that red door, which leads to the factory building, making me enter a world of scents. Of love, of people to greet. In fact, before we were all in such a big hurry, we always had a chance to ask ‘how’s it going?’, flowing through office corridors.

Illy was not a Company for me as a child. It was what Grandma called ‘the Factory’. It kind of felt like home, for its’ smells and smiles. Energy. Respect. The aroma of roasted coffee was the way to understand that my father had just returned from work: when I opened the closet at home, and felt that magical scent spread from his overcoat. In those years, the late 80’s my father Riccardo was totally devoted to illy and the spread of the best beans to the rest of the world, developing export (I had no idea this was happening, at the time, as a child…).

It is exactly the mystical scent which nowadays, and it is never taken for granted, I am lucky enough to inhale from my office every day.

When I was 7 years old, Grandfather Erny kept telling me about a magical and unique story, linking chemistry and passion, caramel and toasted bread. That sort of fairy tale was philosophy within a science never so well told – I discovered it much later. Ernesto was a chemist, and he made me fall in love with the subject. Years later I connected the dots: in fact, the whole tale described the roasting process and how aromas develop: that is, the Maillard reaction.

After 15 years spent far away from Trieste, plunged in studies and into a sought and desired entrepreneurial career of a completely different kind , from 18s to my + 30s, tasting the flavor of success and challenges …. well,

That same red door signaled me back home at one point, making me fall in love with this magical company. Thanks to my Grandfather and Andrea illy, who took the lead of the company with his passionate vionary attitude, exactly 30 years ago from today, I was employed as a Scientific Lecturer on 2008 @ illy.

After 11 years spent as an illy emplyee, trotting between Trieste and the rest of world, 2 of which in Milan, seeing that red door when called back to a corporate role in Trieste touched me again. What a joy to see ‘her’ again, with the faces-and the smiles … the sincere ones– of the colleagues, finally on my return!

Now that door has been tinted; I think it’s white. But it is always home, always love and even more of a virtuous company. There is no day when we stop learning @#illy and I don’t think there are many companies with our ‘illytude’. In these weeks away from that door,because of COVID 19, I could not help feeling the same nostalgia and also a frank and strong sense of belonging to such a charming environment.

Thanks #illy ❤ and all the wonderful people who whole heartedly take or have raised part of it over 80 years, building it so strong and real.