Illy & Lavazza: two coffee giant that remain family businesses

Two families that lead authentic Italian espresso!

Anyone who loves coffee, it is impossible not to have enjoyed, at some point in his life, the unique blends of Lavazza and Illy, since the two companies are probably the most popular espresso brands in the world - but few have wondered what exactly means Illy and Lavazza!

Although these companies are truly giants in their field, being the two undisputed leaders in the coffee market, it is impressive that even today, more than 100 years since their founding and with a worldwide turnover, remain essentially family businesses, from their names and logos, to (mostly) administration and management. After all, their names are nothing but the surnames of their founders.

We take a look at the course of Illy and Lavazza, two companies that started from small groceries, and thanks to the passion and vision of two families changed forever the way we enjoy our coffee.

Illy: The Hungarian officer who changed the way we drink coffee

Illy was founded in 1933 in Trieste, Italy, by Francesco Illy, a Hungarian soldier from Timisoara, Romania, whose real name was Illy Ferenc. Illy ended up in the port of Trieste after World War I, and decided to leave the army and become a coffee and cocoa trader.

Coffee quickly won over Francesco, who was fascinated by espresso, who was then taking his first steps. Illy's course is intertwined with innovation, as it contributed catalytically to the evolution of espresso machines, but also to the packaging of coffee with nitrogen, which allowed the coffee to travel long distances without altering its taste and aroma. Technological innovation is maintained to this day, with the latest discoveries that changed the world of coffee, the ESE paper tablets, which quickly became an international manufacturing standard, but also the Iperespresso capsules.

Illy offers its coffee in a unique 100% Arabica blend, in different roasting levels, while some of the individual varieties that compose the legendary blend are marketed as single-variety coffees, in the "Arabica Selection" series.

Today, the company continues to be headquartered in Trieste, but has a presence in more than 140 countries and employs over 3,000 employees, being one of the real leaders in the coffee market, while the Unicaffe educational institution trains people in 27 different countries.

Francesco Illy was succeeded at the helm of the company by his son, Ernesto, while today brothers Andrea, Anna, Ricardo and Francesco still run the company, being the third generation of a name associated with coffee.

Lavazza: The secret lies in the mix

Lavazza was founded in 1895 by Luigi Lavazza, initially as a small grocery store in Turin, but soon Luigi decided to invest exclusively in coffee. Luigi was fascinated by the art of mixing coffee, and by roasting the different varieties of coffee in his shop to varying degrees and mixing them, he made blends to order for his customers. The recipes for the first blends were standardized by Luigi's sons and led to commercial success.

Lavazza's motto is "Italy's favorite coffee" and, in addition to the undoubted quality of its blends and its position in the market, Lavazza has contributed in various ways to the spread of real Italian espresso, while products such as Lavazza Blue capsules , A Modo Mio and Point put her at the forefront of developments.

Lavazza offers its products in many different blends, both for home and for HoReCa use - moreover, the company claims that the blending of coffee (and especially espresso) is an invention of Luigi Lavazza, but even this is not true, It is a fact that Lavazza played a catalytic role in the consolidation of blending as a feature of coffee, but also of espresso in particular. In addition, the company has established the "Luigi Lavazza Center for the Research and Development of Espresso", which trains thousands of people every year in authentic Italian espresso.

Today, Lavazza is run by the fourth generation of the family, owns almost 40% of the Italian market and has a presence worldwide, employing more than 3,500 employees at six production points, in Italy and abroad.

The small grocery store on Via San Tommaso in Turin still exists, still belongs to the Lavazza family and is a real "place of pilgrimage" for every coffee lover.



Whether we choose illy or Lavazza, the only sure thing is that we will choose good, quality espresso, which has family care for more than 100 years!