“A panettone involves chemistry, physics and biology and all three need to be balanced using the right technology and a whole lot of passion,” says Jacopo Incrisse, head of marketing and communication at Bernardi srl. For years now this Cuneo-based company has been exploiting the growing level of interest in the product by master bakers and chefs. “Our company specialises in double-arm mixers and kneading machines with a small to medium capacity. Up to about a decade ago this method was used almost exclusively in bread and pastry making, whereas now it has extended to the wider world of catering.” Now the mixing speed can be adjusted to suit the recipe, and the technology involved makes possible levels of energy efficiency that would have been unthinkable just a couple of years ago. “Even on machines that are not used regularly, like kneading machines, which one might think would only make a negligible difference to electricity bills, energy consumption is in fact drastically reduced. In addition, we adopt the same procedure also on countertop machines where universal motors would normally be used (so-called “brush motors”, which are cheap, but usually noisy and inefficient)”.

The importance of taking a “green” approach (not just in Italy) is also recognised by Wiesheu, a German manufacturer of professional ovens. “Everyone is now looking above all for equipment that consumes less but with no loss in performance. This is because technologies that are innovative in their energy use are now available, and more attention is paid to consumption levels. The aim throughout is to provide smart solutions that help caterers serve “fresh food that is high in quality and can be supplied just when customers need it,” says the assistant to the CEO, Madeleine Franz, who adds that the latest new oven in the range gives a saving of up to 20% energy consumption compared with earlier models.