Sacla' was born in 1939, when our founding grandparents – Secondo and Piera Ercole – set up a small business preparing fruit and vegetables in their hometown of Asti in a region up in the north west of Italy called Piedmont, which means the foot of the mountains.
Surrounded by the abundant herbs, vegetables and fruits that give Piedmont its name as 'Italy's garden', Secondo and Piera were determined to share their local bounty with the world. And so, with a deep respect for the rhythm of the seasons and the fertile land which gave them so much, Società Anonima Commercia Lavorazione Alimentari grew into a flourishing business, one that soon became known more simply as Sacla'.
As Sacla' grew, so did the Ercole family. Built on strong family values, our business thrived, soon becoming one of Italy’s most loved and progressive food companies, exporting the best flavours and traditions of Piedmont – and later the entire country – all around the world.
“The nucleus of Italian society is the family," said Lorenzo, son of Secondo and Piera. "The family unit is what created Italy. For us, the sense of family within the business creates a feeling of belonging, of drive and energy."
Now in its third generation, and ably managed by Lorenzo’s daughter Chiara, this sense of family still beats at the heart of Sacla', fuelling our spirit of creativity, ingenuity and passion as we continue to bring families together around the dinner table.
It was in 1990, with the dawn of a new decade and Pavarotti’s Nessun Dorma ringing in everyone’s ears for the Italia '90 World Cup, that Britain's long-running love affair with all things Italian could no longer be contained…
And so Sacla’ UK was launched, the first overseas subsidiary of the business in Italy.
Never has a country embraced new food and experiences quite like Britain at this time. And Sacla' was here to meet the revolution head-on, pioneering a little-known product called ‘Pesto’, which showed people the art of delicious Italian simplicity. 'Pesto Pasta' became a family favourite in homes up and down the country, as it still is today.
As the business has grown from our founding grandparents' humble origins, so the pioneering spirit they instilled in us has since taken us the length and breadth of Italy. Family comes first, and we cherish great friendships too with many likeminded fellow food producers and artisans we’ve met along the way.
Today, Sacla' offers a window to the world of fine Italian food and drink, alongside our own little jars and bottles of sauces. Truffles, Torrone… Cantuccini and Colomba, are magnificent and exciting additions to an extensive range of Italy’s finest. And we are nothing short of thrilled to share the real flavours of Italy with you. This is food and drink made with the same regional pride and creative flair that inspired our founding grandparents all those years ago.
How proud Secondo and Piera would be to see their dreams become so truly, madly, deeply real. We owe it all to them! Their foundations of hard work, family values and great taste are enduring and lasting principles which guide us to this very day.
And our passion is as true as ever.
We're a family-run business, making really good Italian food since 1939. And ever since those early days, we have always wanted to be more than just a product. Because we are determined that our business does good too. For the good of people, communities and the planet.
Watch the video to see our story.
