The new cherry 'gift box' could not but come from the home of chocolates (Alba, in the Cuneo province). It was Lorenzo Brigante, 26, who came up with the idea. He is the owner of Cascina Malcotti which covers almost 6 hectares of hazelnut groves, cherry orchards and apricot orchards.
"This is a land historically suitable for vineyards, but I wanted to find my own way by focusing on apricots and cherries as well as hazelnuts. I planted a one-hectare cherry orchard equipped to be protected with films. There are 7 varieties to cover the production calendar for over one month," explains Brigante.
"The idea of packaging cherries as if they were chocolates came to be after reading a FreshPlaza article that reported how they do so in Japan. At the moment, we commercialize these boxes via a wholesaler in Turin - La Senza Semi - and they are raising a lot of interest. We only use them for the larger fruits which we know boast a high organoleptic level. Boxes have a golden background that makes the cherries stand out. Then the cover features openings to let the air through."
Lorenzo Brigante with a traditional 1.5 kg crate
This solution aims to be an alternative for an original and important gift. "Why should it be normal to give 20 chocolates and be weird to give top-quality cherries? Of course we do not aim to shift considerable volumes with this solution, but we would like it to be our 'calling card' to make people understand that we are a company with original ideas that focuses on quality."
For further information
Cascina Malcotti
Lorenzo Brigante
località Altavilla, Alba, Italy
+39 3662083916
cascina.malcotti@gmail.com
Cascina Malcotti