Bertazzoni family blows out 130 candles

If you were going to make lasagne, you would typically think of buying a few sheets of fresh pasta, some good meat, mozzarella cheese and white sauce. But Bertazzoni, the Italian family business that is celebrating its 130th anniversary this year, would argue that you also need a high-quality oven.

The company, still owned by the eponymous founding family, has been making ovens, cookpots and other kitchen appliances for five generations and sells its products in about 60 countries across the world.

Now, things are heating up some more as Bertazzoni looks set to host an exclusive party for family members, friends and distributors to mark its 130th milestone. The family firm has picked the perfect location to party – celebrations will take place in Guastalla, in the northern Italian region of Emilia-Romagna, where the company was first founded in 1882.

Bertazzoni, which claims to be the world’s oldest family-owned appliance manufacturer, is famous for using innovative technology in its products. These include LCD touchscreens and programmed assistants that set the cooking temperature according to the food and its weight.

The company’s products are also well known for their design, receiving several awards over the years, including the CES Innovations 2012 Design and Engineering Award for the group’s 30-inch double oven.

“Over the past 13 decades, we have focused on understanding what is happening in homes around the world in an effort to translate those lifestyle demands into precisely engineered and beautifully crafted products,” Paolo Bertazzoni, president and fifth-generation chief executive of the family business, said in a statement.

Now the question is, will the company bake its own celebration cake?