In 1789 it wasn't just anyone that could start up their own pasta factory in the Campanian town of Gragnano. In fact, the town had already become so famous for producing Italy's best pasta that the production was strictly controlled. And so, to make pasta there, the Garofalo family needed to show they were up to the challenge. And evidently, they did - because in 1789, Michele Garofalo was granted a unique concession from the King of Naples himself to begin production. The family soon opened up two factories - one making in short shapes, and the other longer shapes. A lot has changed over the centuries, but those two factories still stand today.

Grangano is an interesting place and is frequently named as the home of Italy's best pasta. It's even been awarded a Protected Geographical Indication from the EU - so when you buy pasta from Gragano, you know it will be amongst some of the best you've ever eaten. But why is that? Well for a start, there's a lot of tradition behind the pasta making there. They've been making dried pasta in Gragnano for well over five centuries.





But it's more than just the history - the town has a few geographical quirks that make it particularly well suited to pasta making. The sweet spring water from the volcanic foothills around Naples makes the perfect pasta base. And the town is perfectly positioned to catch the cool breeze from the mountains as it mingles with the warm, salty air from the Med. The main streets were expressly designed to channel the air from both, to dry the fresh pasta slowly and thoroughly.

All of this - the history, the location - goes some way to explaining why Garofalo pasta is some of the best pasta in the world. But there's more to it than that. First, there are the ingredients. All of the Semolina used by the Garofalo comes from the finest Durum Wheat in the world. Before the wheat is even milled, its colour, flavour profile, and gluten levels are checked to uphold the highest level of quality. Then, there's the process. Centuries of tradition combined with cutting edge technology and close supervision of every step of the process, from the raw materials to the signature golden-brown pasta. This simply shows the love, care, and the hard work that's gone into every mouthful you're about to enjoy.