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Food in Canada Magazine
Top 10 Innovators in Canada
Written by: Myron Love
Di Santo Foods
Winnipeg, Man.
Marco Di Santo is a relatively newly minted entrepreneurwho has turned his love for Italian-style pretzels – known astaralli – into a food processing business with international potential.In just his fourth year of business, the former hairdresser,whose family hails from the Abruzzi region of central Italy, hascustomers for his taralli pretzels in Toronto and Montreal andhas recently signed a deal to sell his product through the high-endMinneapolis-based Lunds Byerlies chain store. “We’re talking topeople in Mexico,” says Di Santo, “and I sent some samples toColombia.”Di Santo originally began baking the pretzels for himselfsimply because he liked the snack food. Then family and friendsbegan asking for them. When a cousin suggested that Di Santotry selling some of the snacks through the cousin’s retail outletdowntown, he began to think that there might be somethingmore to his taralli.“My pretzels were selling well at my cousin’s store, so Ithought I would try a couple of other stores,” recalls Di Santo.“People liked them.” He decided at that point to go into businessfor himself and founded Di Santo Foods. He moved intoan industrial area location, developed more attractive packagingand went into production. Now the entrepreneur produces upto 1,000 bags a day.The ring-shaped product, he explains, is an old Italian snackfood popular with rural people. The ingredients are basic: flour,water, white wine, oil, yeast and salt. There are no chemicals orpreservatives. “Taralli pretzels are a dangerously addictive savourysnack,” he says. “They go well with hard or soft cheese and mayalso be used as croutons in soup or salad. Our version is firstboiled then baked.”Di Santo’s taralli are available in three flavours – onion, fenneland salted – and he’s currently developing a grape seed flavour anda whole wheat version using flax seed. “I’m in negotiations with theairlines about developing a smaller taralli for their needs,” he adds.Currently the company is still a one-man operation, taking ontemporary help to fill larger orders. Still, he says, sales grew 20per cent in his second year in production and 50 per cent last year,and he’s anticipating 25-per-cent growth this year. “The trick isto balance growth and production capability,” he says. “If I get alarge order that I can’t fill then I’m stuck. You have to know whento hold back.”
— Myron Love
Top 10 Innovators in Canada
Written by: Myron Love
Di Santo Foods
Winnipeg, Man.
Marco Di Santo is a relatively newly minted entrepreneurwho has turned his love for Italian-style pretzels – known astaralli – into a food processing business with international potential.In just his fourth year of business, the former hairdresser,whose family hails from the Abruzzi region of central Italy, hascustomers for his taralli pretzels in Toronto and Montreal andhas recently signed a deal to sell his product through the high-endMinneapolis-based Lunds Byerlies chain store. “We’re talking topeople in Mexico,” says Di Santo, “and I sent some samples toColombia.”Di Santo originally began baking the pretzels for himselfsimply because he liked the snack food. Then family and friendsbegan asking for them. When a cousin suggested that Di Santotry selling some of the snacks through the cousin’s retail outletdowntown, he began to think that there might be somethingmore to his taralli.“My pretzels were selling well at my cousin’s store, so Ithought I would try a couple of other stores,” recalls Di Santo.“People liked them.” He decided at that point to go into businessfor himself and founded Di Santo Foods. He moved intoan industrial area location, developed more attractive packagingand went into production. Now the entrepreneur produces upto 1,000 bags a day.The ring-shaped product, he explains, is an old Italian snackfood popular with rural people. The ingredients are basic: flour,water, white wine, oil, yeast and salt. There are no chemicals orpreservatives. “Taralli pretzels are a dangerously addictive savourysnack,” he says. “They go well with hard or soft cheese and mayalso be used as croutons in soup or salad. Our version is firstboiled then baked.”Di Santo’s taralli are available in three flavours – onion, fenneland salted – and he’s currently developing a grape seed flavour anda whole wheat version using flax seed. “I’m in negotiations with theairlines about developing a smaller taralli for their needs,” he adds.Currently the company is still a one-man operation, taking ontemporary help to fill larger orders. Still, he says, sales grew 20per cent in his second year in production and 50 per cent last year,and he’s anticipating 25-per-cent growth this year. “The trick isto balance growth and production capability,” he says. “If I get alarge order that I can’t fill then I’m stuck. You have to know whento hold back.”
— Myron Love
CANADIAN BAKERS JOURNAL
Who's Who List for 2009
Written by Treena Hein
The bakeries on this year’s ‘Who’s Who’ list, as in any other year, demonstrate innovation and excellence – a willingness to do things differently and go the extra mile. However, our choices for 2009 are perhaps more varied than ever before. The bakeries on this year’s ‘Who’s Who’ list, as in any other year, demonstrate innovation and excellence – a willingness to do things differently and go the extra mile. However, our choices for 2009 are perhaps more varied than ever before. You’ll find the following businesses strongly focus on the needs and wants of today’s consumer – a first-hand demonstration that the path to success lies in meeting niche demands for specific baked goods with consistency and flair.
DiSanto Foods Ltd: Bringing back tradition
Many of us with Italian blood are familiar with taralli, a rustic pretzel that’s been part of the culture for generations. But those outside the Italian community are also beginning to fall in love with these simple peasant snacks – made with only flour, water, white wine, oil, yeast and salt – thanks in large part to Marco DiSanto.
“It gives me great pleasure to hear from clients who say the product makes them think of when they were kids in their grandma’s kitchens, making home-made taralli,” says Disanto, president of DiSanto Foods in Winnipeg, Man. “It’s something they’ve lost and now they can have back.”
It’s not just the traditional aspect of the product that makes it so appealing, however; it’s also the flexibility and all-natural ingredients. “It pairs very well with fine cheeses and spreads for gourmet snacking,” DiSanto says.
He began making taralli commercially four years ago after receiving encouragement from friends and family. Salted, onion, fennel and whole wheat-flax seed flavours will soon be joined by grape seed. Besides being sold locally, DiSanto tarallis line the shelves of the high-end, Minneapolis-based Lunds Byerlies chain, and smaller packages will soon be ready for vending machines, gift baskets and even airlines. In addition, an organic version is being served within a program that provides locally grown and locally made healthy snacks to day-care centres.
Being open to different opportunities such as these is an important part of DiSanto’s success. He also believes one has to be flexible, open-minded, passionate and goal-oriented. “The rest will take care of itself,” he says.
Who's Who List for 2009
Written by Treena Hein
The bakeries on this year’s ‘Who’s Who’ list, as in any other year, demonstrate innovation and excellence – a willingness to do things differently and go the extra mile. However, our choices for 2009 are perhaps more varied than ever before. The bakeries on this year’s ‘Who’s Who’ list, as in any other year, demonstrate innovation and excellence – a willingness to do things differently and go the extra mile. However, our choices for 2009 are perhaps more varied than ever before. You’ll find the following businesses strongly focus on the needs and wants of today’s consumer – a first-hand demonstration that the path to success lies in meeting niche demands for specific baked goods with consistency and flair.
DiSanto Foods Ltd: Bringing back tradition
Many of us with Italian blood are familiar with taralli, a rustic pretzel that’s been part of the culture for generations. But those outside the Italian community are also beginning to fall in love with these simple peasant snacks – made with only flour, water, white wine, oil, yeast and salt – thanks in large part to Marco DiSanto.
“It gives me great pleasure to hear from clients who say the product makes them think of when they were kids in their grandma’s kitchens, making home-made taralli,” says Disanto, president of DiSanto Foods in Winnipeg, Man. “It’s something they’ve lost and now they can have back.”
It’s not just the traditional aspect of the product that makes it so appealing, however; it’s also the flexibility and all-natural ingredients. “It pairs very well with fine cheeses and spreads for gourmet snacking,” DiSanto says.
He began making taralli commercially four years ago after receiving encouragement from friends and family. Salted, onion, fennel and whole wheat-flax seed flavours will soon be joined by grape seed. Besides being sold locally, DiSanto tarallis line the shelves of the high-end, Minneapolis-based Lunds Byerlies chain, and smaller packages will soon be ready for vending machines, gift baskets and even airlines. In addition, an organic version is being served within a program that provides locally grown and locally made healthy snacks to day-care centres.
Being open to different opportunities such as these is an important part of DiSanto’s success. He also believes one has to be flexible, open-minded, passionate and goal-oriented. “The rest will take care of itself,” he says.
