The origins

In 1895, Luigi Lavazza opened an artisanal coffee roastery in the historical centre of Turin, beginning a practice that would turn out to be the most revolutionary intuition in the history of coffee: the creation of the first coffee blends for consumption.

At the time, blends for domestic consumption did not yet exist. As a result, the taste of coffee was unpredictable and varied depending on where it was sourced and on the year. Thanks to his studies in the field of chemistry and his passion for the product, Luigi created blends with more balanced tastes, which were able to satisfy the different needs of the market: the result was a beverage that gained immediate success. In 1922, Luigi acquired the Eureka, a machine that could roast 12 kg of coffee in a single cycle. This marked another significant step forward in the gradual transformation of the small coffee store into a family-run company, which would officially be established in 1927.

Since the very beginning, its innovative approach became the company's distinctive trait. Following on from his inspiration to create blends, Luigi began to use new packaging materials. He was the first to use Pergamin for coffee: an oil-proof paper that preserved the fragrance of the product for longer, over which he applied the name Lavazza, making the product more recognisable.

In 1934, Luigi Lavazza travelled overseas, to Brazil, along with a delegation of major importers of Brazilian coffee. The purpose of the trip was to visit the coffee plantations in person.

On this occasion, he witnessed the destruction of enormous quantities of excess coffee, which affected him deeply. “A world that destroys the goods of nature is one I do not belong in”, he declared upon his return, a sentiment which foreshadowed the approach adopted by the Company from that point forward, characterised by a sensitivity to environmental, social and cultural issues.

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