There is no one in Milan who does not know how to locate Peck on the map. “Of course, on the street where we are now, we have been there for more than a century. And before we were very close,” admits Leone Marzotto, the CEO of one of the most exclusive gourmet stores on the planet, a stone’s throw from the duomo Milanese. Marzotto joins the list of families that have continued the legacy that Franz Peck inaugurated in 1883, when he opened the first store at number 2 Orefici Street.
Peck had emigrated from Prague, from where he brought his good hand with smoked meats and sausages. His name immediately became popular among the Italian aristocracy. “And in the 1930s, with Eliseo Magnaghi at the helm, it became well known among writers and playwrights,” highlights Marzotto, who mentions among them figures such as the poet Gabriele D’Annunzio or the journalist and screenwriter Arnaldo Fraccaroli. In those years, Peck settled in the imagination of the most select Italy, which prepared the landing of the Stoppani brothers. Mario, Angelo and Remo give another meaning to the store, becoming a reference in the world of gastronomy and wines. They expanded the winery, renovated the premises and transformed its basement, converting that part into the workshop where they prepare many of their most remembered creations.
The Russian salad, the pâté ingot, the ragù, the bresaola or their popular sandwiches became popular to unimaginable levels during the eighties. Their international expansion came in 1986, associating with the Takashimaya restaurant group, with which they opened 21 stores in Japan, as well as establishments in Taiwan and Singapore a few years later. “When my father joined in 2012, he was clear about his mission: to take care of his workers and continue to focus on quality,” says Marzotto, who has been in management since 2017.
Today they are still revered for making their own mozzarella, burrata and scamorza fresh, having a cheesemaker from Puglia visit their facilities three times a week. Each product they have in the store has been tested by experts, who are responsible for guaranteeing that it is the best on the market. For example, for Parma prosciutto they work with three producers, who offer them maturations of 20, 30 and 45 months. The same happens in teas, ice creams, coffees, chocolates, cheeses or wines. “We have a wine cellar of more than 3,000 bottles, which includes some of the rarest labels that can be found for the connoisseur. We have verticals of the best barolos and barbarescos”says Marzotto.
Among the Spanish brands that have managed to sneak into the store, there is a significant one: Joselito. “Peck was our first client in Italy, I got to know the country through them,” remembers José Gómez, the last generation to make this gastronomic gem known. “If you had to have a ham, this had to be the best,” says Marzotto.
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