First of all, quality!

Interview for the monthly magazine OLTRE, June 2018

Trani, the pearl of the Adriatic, is famous for its extraordinary historical and architectural beauty, including the most beautiful cathedral by the sea in the world, renowned for Trani stone and its productive wellness quarries in the 1980s. Once a major hub of TAC, a leader in the footwear sector in the 1990s, the city also hosts an unexpectedly significant food company.

Among the first in Italy in its sector as a single-product “tarallo” producer, Tesori d’Apulia combines traditional recipes with modern concepts of sustainability, circular economy, and technological innovation. Domenico Tarantini is a 4.0 entrepreneur who has taken a leap in quality, looking beyond, even though he did not come from a family business background. Calm yet determined, he demonstrates a dedication rooted in study and hard work, wisely choosing people who already had the know-how to start this venture, leveraging his previous experiences and showing that he genuinely cares about what he does and what his company represents.

His story is fascinating: a different background, a different mindset—not just profit and turnover. There’s more. Doing business is not difficult; it requires a comprehensive vision. Quality is not just a slogan—this is the firm principle guiding the CEO of Tesori d’Apulia.

In this Trani company, there is great attention to the environment. Quality applies not only to the product but also to the process. All cooking operations, including boiling, use pellet fuel; wastewater is phytoremediated; and the new packaging being launched is fully recyclable. This modern company, now in its third plant opened at the end of 2017, conveys the concept of aseptic production—because tarallo and food are sacred for any Apulian—but also shows the care all employees take in production. An advanced production chain with measures that make the difference. A daily production potential of 100–110 quintals, a sizable company structure, and numerous controls, not only legally required but also for corporate ethics. Sometimes overzealous, all aimed at one belief: quality.

Taralli are one of the most iconic products of our region. You started in 2005, before Puglia became an export brand. How did you decide to embark on this adventure?

Domenico Tarantini: It was by chance, encouraged by a friend who owned local supermarkets and showed me the strong growth and sales of the product. Starting small, it’s not too hard to run a business. You need to be good at being appreciated and selling the product. Tarallo is typical of Puglia and represents it, but if it isn’t good, it won’t last. From the beginning, I thought the product could be appreciated for its quality before calling myself an entrepreneur. So far, I have succeeded.

What daily motivations drive you to continuously improve and care for your company?

I didn’t come from a family of entrepreneurs. My father was an elementary school teacher who, when the lira was still in use, managed to support a family of five and pay a mortgage. I didn’t have big expectations and was doing something completely different in life. I had a small construction company, a renovation business, and before that I worked for Mastrogiacomo (Centro Turistico Mastrogiacomo and Divinae Follie). I started there in PR and later managed the staff. At that time, Divinae—the largest nightclub in southern Italy—was the hub of the world. People came from all over Italy. They were true pioneers in entertainment. Because I didn’t come from a family of entrepreneurs, I didn’t have the obsession of getting rich, only the focus that the company should continuously grow through quality. I have never compromised on quality, from producing 3 quintals a day to now over 100. I don’t maintain stock, much like prêt-à-porter fashion: I produce after receiving the order from the supplier, ensuring the product reaches the shelf or final destination with its freshness. With proper care, we achieve a shelf life of seven to nine months, depending on the oils used, but tasting a tarallo made three months ago is not the same as one made a month ago. As for motivation: receiving emails with extremely positive feedback on the product is the best fuel to keep going, not earning a larger profit margin.

High-quality raw materials (flour, water, oil, salt, wine), attention to the entire production chain, storage, and presentation. How important is quality throughout production and marketing? Your ecologically baked products are BRC and IFS certified.

Quality is not just a slogan. It’s easy to say a product is of high quality but neglect other aspects. The two certifications mentioned are strict in the food industry. Producing a quality product also means using ecological cooking methods. I am proud to say my company was the first taralli factory to switch the entire cooking line from LPG to pellet.

Attention to energy sources, then?

Absolutely. Even the boiling line uses pellet. Another innovation, regarding environmental care, is phytoremediation. Wastewater from boiling, instead of being discharged into the sewage system, is used to water plants in the company, with a sub-tubing system channeling it to a bed of Phragmites australis (reed-like plants). The purification process relies on oxygen in the tank soil, supplemented by the roots’ biomass. Boiling water is barely contaminated, as it mainly contains starch and oil. This may seem minor, but when it comes to sustainability and product quality, it is important.

You have a product that merges tradition and innovation: Marallo Bio. Tarallo made with seawater, naturally salted, microbiologically pure, Steralmar ®️.

Yes. A few years ago, we began the “Marallo” project. The dough contains wine, oil, and flour. Wine gives the product flavor, crispness, and acts as a natural leavening agent. Using seawater was challenging. Salt’s hygroscopic nature helps retain moisture and maintain ingredient cohesion. We refined the process using natural methods, without additives, producing a niche, fully organic product: EVO oil, organic flour, and seawater. Initially aimed at low-sodium diets, we tested market appeal through panel tests across five Famila stores (Bisceglie, Bari, Taranto, Brindisi, Molfetta), receiving enthusiastic feedback.

You have various production lines: traditional, wellness, organic, tarallini, different flavors, snacks. Is product differentiation the only way to stay on the market?

Differentiation is one thing, evolution another. Marallo Bio represents evolution. Differentiation is challenging; trends like multicereal taralli are popular now, but most products are similar. Market survival depends on maintaining high quality. Some long-standing products never change because they remain high quality.

Company size? Distribution channels?

The company has 22 employees (full-time, part-time, seasonal), plus four office staff and consultants ranging from marketing to lab analysis. We conduct weekly raw material and product checks. Distribution is mainly through national wholesale and retail chains. International expansion, led by General Manager Nicola Catacchio, has begun, including participation in the “Natural And Organic Products Europe 2018” fair in England.

Do you aim to position the product beyond just a snack or bread substitute?

Market research shows the highest consumption of taralli is in Veneto, not Lombardy, despite large southern communities. Taralli compete with local breads like schiacciatina mantovana and follow trends similar to crackers. We are also developing healthier options with ancient grains.

Your mission?

Respecting tradition while offering the best possible product. Simple principles, firmly held.

What does entrepreneurship mean to you? Any considerations regarding the current government?

Ideas arise only when we are given the conditions to develop them. If fiscal reform and lower taxes were implemented, ideas would flow. I started with nothing. Everything I have done has been reinvested in the company, not personal luxuries. The real strength is my collaborators. If they are happy, they work diligently. We produce food; if taralli are baked poorly, we discard them. Italy could learn from the U.S., where the labor market is more flexible.

You are in a new operational site because of recent company achievements.

Tesori d’Apulia is among the top Italian companies producing taralli. New packaging elevates the product, with Maiolica-style designs by creative Luciano Rubino, enhancing both logistics and brand image. Marallo Bio further positions taralli as a premium product, appreciated by restaurants and chefs alike.

Does the new packaging consider environmental impact? How is it recyclable?

We designed a pack that feels like paper but is fully separable from plastic, embodying circular economy principles.

The general manager guides us through the production area.

We are our first consumers. No one tells us how to arrange production lines; staff ingenuity is key. Ten ovens are used, with careful cooling and selection to maintain taralli quality. Raw materials are stored carefully, and staff are trained for quality control.

Future perspectives? What do you see Beyond?

I see this product becoming recognized not just as a Puglian specialty, but as an Italian excellence. We have started exporting to California, where brokers report strong enthusiasm. Educating Americans about healthy yet tasty products ensures success. OLTRE promotes system thinking, similar to how Marche maintained its footwear industry as a global hub. Using community blends of French and Italian grains, we aim for IGP recognition—ambitious but not impossible.

The general manager adds:

Taralli is often treated as a commodity, but our differentiation is quality. Clear labeling, nutritional tables, and transparency are vital. We hope Italy adopts clearer nutritional standards, similar to U.S. regulations, including vitamins, iron, magnesium, and fats.