Report II: It’s not just Prosecco: the business of fine dining (and drinking) is performing exceptionally well. With some variations in the North-East
The most dynamic sector. The agri-food industry takes off
In its own way – a way that is surprisingly pleasing to the palate – it is a minor revolution. Because the North-East, understood as a region with a high density of production, has long been synonymous worldwide with manufacturing, workshops and artisanal workshops unrivalled in terms of work capacity and flexibility. All very true, of course. But today, following a crisis that has left a deep mark, the North-East that is ‘thriving’ is, above all, a different one: it is still about industry, but it is the industry of eating – and, above all, drinking – well. And the agri-food sector is currently the most vibrant sector of all. This adjective is no coincidence: it is wine – particularly sparkling wine – that is driving the North-East’s exports and placing the ‘beverages’ sector at the very top of the economic performance rankings. Not everything, however, revolves around the wine cellar. Food products as a whole are paving the way for the renewed expansion of the North-East, and of the Veneto region in particular (Friuli Venezia Giulia, as we shall see later, is instead suffering from greater stagnation): beers (Antoniana and 32 Via dei Birrai, to name but two), pasta manufacturers (Zara and Sgambaro in the Castelfranco area), and the confectionery sector (Melegatti, the historic brand behind Verona’s pandoro, has just opened a brand-new factory dedicated entirely to croissants). These are just a few examples to illustrate the point: since 2014, our local agri-food sector has experienced a trend towards growth, with an average turnover balance of 9.2, substantial stability in employment levels (74,796) and a net increase in staff numbers of 11.3.
