Pietanze
The Hive helps entrepreneur bring a taste of Sicily to Britain
Marco Baglieri was inspired by his Sicilian heritage to introduce a new Italian snack to the British public.
After a varied career which included working for a mental health charity, teaching philosophy at university and running a small graphic design agency, Marco decided he wanted to set up his own business. He commented: “I like to organise my own time, be my own boss and follow my passion and dreams.” In April 2011 he set up Pietanze, a Sicilian food import and distribution company based in Nottingham.
As a child Marco enjoyed arancini, and these are the first traditional Sicilian food he has introduced into the UK. Arancini are delicious little rice balls with different fillings, covered in breadcrumbs and gently fried. Fillings currently include classic ragù (minced meat in tomato sauce), ham and mozzarella, spinach and ricotta and seafood. Arancini is very adaptable and Marco plans to increase the range to incorporate fillings from different ethnic cuisines.
Invaluable support from The Hive
In June 2010 Marco took part in a tailored HeadStart course at The Hive, designed for people with advanced knowledge or product development. “The biggest challenge is to educate the market about a new food product with the very limited financial resources available” says Marco. “The Hive provided advice, mentoring, networking and training events, but also practical help to translate technical manuals from Italian to English and other more practical problems. The course itself and the resources provided were outstanding. They always know where to signpost you to.”
Since starting up his business, Marco has seen his product in Great Food Magazine, which generated lots of interest in his product. He hopes that with the right investment he can market the product on a larger scale. Eventually he hopes to import and sell the patented machine which makes arancini, to enable other British businesses to produce them themselves.
Marco admits that The Hive provided lots of emotional help to get his business up and running. When asked if he would recommend The Hive to other entrepreneurs he responded: “I would indeed. The Hive provides help and expertise at all levels and if they cannot directly provide it, then they will be able to address you to the right place. The environment is very friendly and serious at the same time. The organisation is outstanding.”
To discover more visit the Pietanze website.
