“Excellence”, a word often used inappropriately even by those who are aware of its true meaning, whether to describe the reasoning of entrepreneurs, or the creations of artists. Roberto and Sandro Dalla Bona have followed their parents’ footsteps; they have learned all they know from their father Natalino and their mother Franca. Even before understanding the technique and the secrets of pastry, Roberto and Sandro had learned from their parents a sense of duty, a passion for a difficult craft, and a sense of responsibility towards the people who work with them. They had no time to waste: they had discovered their destinies – to carry with them the pride in their work which was instilled into them, allowing their parents’ memory to carry on into the future. Although Mamma Franca passed away a few months before, Roberto and Sandro let her live on every day through their work.
Smartness and a sense of responsibility
Roberto manages, along with his father Natalino and brother Sandro, the Dalla Bona bakery in Montegrotto Terme, in the province of Padua. The bakery was founded in 1963, and was completely renovated in 2010 – a painstaking ‘made to measure’ labor of love by Robert and his brother Sandro. However, to truly understand the success of the Dalla Bona bakery, we have to turn to the Natalino’s memories; “When I saw the design of the new place, I was a bit hesitant, it seemed too beautiful, too grand, too overdone. My children have hand-picked everything from the counters to the decoration. It took just a look at my wife, Franca, for me to realize that it was all possible, that we could do it!” The success of the Della Bona bakery is all here: the family connections, a respect for the hard work that has made you who you are. The future is written in the determination of a family that believes in continuous improvement. At the age of eleven Natalino began working as an apprentice in a bakery. “My job”, he recounts, “was sweeping the floor, beating the flour bags to prevent them from hardening and hand-delivering the bread. I earned a kilo of bread a day. Once I learned the trade, I got to earning 4,000 lira a month. With my first pay cheque, my father bought me a bicycle to deliver the bread. I had become a man! I remember exactly when I learned to knead and bake bread; I was 13, the same age at which I was orphaned. I got to know Franca, she was an apprentice hairdresser and in the evening, a ticket collector in a cinema. Together we opened a hairdressing salon, and I continued to learn my craft, discovering how to make desserts. Franca and I married, and then I decided to open a bakery. Was I fearful? Very, but I wanted to work. Unaware of the regulations, I was forced to close my shop and in order to pay debts and I started selling ‘sfogliatelle’, cream-filled pastries, on the beach. I was forced to abandon even this but, in the meantime, my baker’s permit arrived which allowed me to re-open the bakery. It was a success. My wife Franca gave birth to my sons, who came to work with me. In 1975 I opened a workshop, which allowed me to expand my business. My greatest joy was to have passed on my passion for working and for pastry to my children.”
Simplicity and tradition
Roberto welcomed me into his workshop, where he works with a cohesive team. He wants us to take pictures featuring his entire staff; “It is my team who are the winners. I am the helmsman, who runs a close-knit staff. The success of the bakery is determined by the work of all of us and the passion that is instilled in our products even by those who have now retired.” Roberto is like his pastries; classic, understated, focused. He is conscious of having made the right choice in his defense of baking tradition. “What I am I owe to my mother and my father. They have given me a fantastic opportunity and I put into practice what they have taught me every day with pride.” Today many seek the pastry which is able to surprise, is it the same with you? “Your products should please everyone.” And the competition? “Every day is a competition; the reward is the smile and the happiness of my customer.” And your training? “I learned a lot in the bakery workshop, taught by my father, and then I did several courses at the Etolie bakery school. Some great masters have come into my bakery to teach me their secrets; my brother Sandro has travelled abroad for several experiences, particularly in France and Belgium to the Biasetto’s bakeries.” What’s your philosophy? “Cakes, cakes and cakes. I devote a lot of care to the preparation of brioches and croissants, because breakfast is one of the most important moments of my working day. I am a staunch defender of tradition; I respect the traditional pastry forms and ingredients. Likewise I pay much attention to the choice of raw materials, always keeping an eye on value for money. In small provincial towns one cannot ask for too high a price.” Who believed in you? “My parents.” And what is the future of the bakery? “To continue with a light dusting of tradition, without over-exaggerating it. A dessert is always a dessert!”.