Senfter

The Salumifici Granterre Ltd. is the result of many years of development. It all began with a small butcher’s shop belonging to the current-day owners’ grandfather, which went on to become one of the biggest companies in the Italian food industry. In 1856 grandfather Senfter inherited a butcher’s shop and slaughterhouse from his uncle in Innichen/San Candido. He slaughtered the pigs himself, sold some of the meat fresh and, to gain a longer shelf life, processed other parts into speck.

At the beginning of his career Franz Senfter attended Business College but went on to learn the butchering trade and took over his father’s business. When he observed that the rapidly-developing tourism industry in South Tyrol was highly receptive to Speck Alto Adige, and that commercial partnerships were waiting to be made, he expanded his production of Speck Alto Adige. By means of modern technology, Franz Senfter laid the foundations for standardisation and quality assurance in their speck.

Slowly but surely, he built up a steady network throughout Italy. Entry into the German market brought significant changes for the company: In the habit as German consumers were of consuming smoked meat products, Speck Alto Adige was of even greater appeal there than it was in Italy. Today, Salumifici Granterre Ltd. is one of the largest companies in the meat-producing sector in Italy, and the largest speck producer in South Tyrol.

Speck is extremely service-friendly and can be eaten and served in myriad ways: as a niche product, finely sliced, sliced into strips or chopped into cubes. So what is it that distinguishes the quality of Speck Alto Adige? The speck must be cured to a specific point, and the curing phase lasts five, six or seven months. Salt is also extremely important in speck production: It draws the water from the meat, preserves it and brings out the flavour of the seasonings, giving the speck its delectable taste.