About us
A story from far away
San Salvador: a story from far away
“The journey of the Torrefazione San Salvador began in 1966 when Delio Biancotti decided to open a small family-run business where he and his wife Saveria Favier worked initially. The bags were filled manually with spoons and then packaged one by one.
At the beginning, the main difficulty consisted in convincing potential customers that the newborn business had a future, but Delio Biancotti was not the type of person to be discouraged and soon a good volume of business was created. He bought the first automatic machines, including the roaster and the packaging machine, and then expanded the premises, continuing to flourish over the years. The early passing of the founder in 1985 left the business entirely in the hands of his wife, who managed it with great vigour and passion; the children, having become adults, joined the company one after the other.”
This is the story of our family and our lives, which, for over 55 years, has been running parallel to that of the Torrefazione: a business that became a lifestyle and passion for the world of coffee.
We currently export our blends to various European and Arab countries as well.
Method
The coffee route
Today our Torrefazione is a solid company which imports Robusta and Arabica green coffee after it is carefully selected by our technicians. The beans come mainly from countries in Central America, but India and Africa also furnish outstanding varieties. In our Torrefazione, we mix and roast raw coffee to give life to the various recipes for cafés and for home use.
The close bond between our family and the Torrefazione business translates into a search for productions and creating blends.
The styles of cooffee
Traditionally speaking, the world of Italian coffee is divided into five areas, identified after research and studies: Italian Espresso is one of a kind, but is interpreted in territorial varieties.
The identified families are: Alpine, Po Valley, Tyrrhenian, central and southern.
The differences between coffee zones depend on a complex series of sensory factors linked to enogastronomic culture and also to the first blend that appeared in a determined territory. The processing of the beans varies according to these distinctive qualities.
In the Alpine range, an aroma with a hint of flowers and fresh fruit is preferred, whilst cocoa prevails in the Po Valley. In the Tyrrhenian area, notes of dried fruit and pastry are favoured. We find cocoa once more in central Italy but with traces of spice whilst decidedly spicy aromas win down south.
Our blends are inspired by the sensory style of the Alpine area, but our constant searching, driven by the passion we invest in our work, leads us to explore and experiment other compositions.
Certifications and Awards
Certified Italian espresso coffee
We have pursued various certifications, both on company as well as product levels, because we believe in the quality of our work and we want it to be recognized in an official and authoritative way.
Corporate certifications
UNI EN ISO 9001 and UNI EN ISO 22000
These control the quality and food safety of our activities during the processing of beans and whilst coffee blends are being produced.
Product certifications
The IEI (Istituto Espresso Italiano-Italian Espresso Institute, former INEI) was founded in 1998 with the objective of defining true “Quality Espresso”, protecting and promoting it as one of the most successful symbols of Made in Italy products on a worldwide level.
Our Torrefazione is associated with the IEI and our premium quality Super Bar and Extra Bar coffee blends have obtained the certification of espresso coffee branded “Espresso Italiano” (Italian Espresso).
International awards
We have won several international awards, including gold medals at the International Coffee Tasting, a coffee competition held by the Istituto Internazionale Assaggiatori Caffè (International Institute of Coffee Tasters) (liac) which determines the quality of coffees through expertly used sensory analysis.
Excellence
Quality always comes first
Our Torrefazione’s work method is always based on the highest standards in terms of quality and safety. Considering it is a food product, it is our wish that the raw materials and every single phase of processing and packaging be carefully checked and subjected to strict controls.
Ecology and sustainability for coffee that’s good for you
In addition to the quality of our products, we are also sensitive to safeguarding the environment, an essential theme for every contemporary business. In this regard, we have implemented a series of concrete actions: we produce an organic line of coffee in beans and a line of compostable capsules. We use electricity from renewable sources and catalysed filters to reduce atmospheric emissions to a level below the legal limits, with a reduction of up to 50% in gas consumption. What’s more, we have eliminated fumes and odours.
Our family’s Torrefazione
The passion and enthusiasm with which we conduct our business makes us treat our customers like family, offering them the finest products at the most favourable conditions.
Whether internal Torrefazione collaborators or external businesses, we base our relationships on trust, ability, and the experience acquired in over 50 years of history.
