Christmas is approaching and the time for traditional desserts has arrived. Panettone is one of those that cannot be missed, but this year the prices are skyrocketing. Between 20 euro packs and gourmet variants, there are those who try to save by looking at the supermarket shelves. And yes, there are those who turn up their noses: “Conad brand Panettone? For less than 4 euros? It will be of inferior quality.” But is it really like that?
The answer is not clear-cut. Why not, it doesn’t mean that if you buy a panettone “from the supermarket” you are buying a poor product. But neither can it be said that it is automatically identical to the premium versions of the big brands. The truth is that you have to read the label and understand who really produces it.
Who really makes Conad panettone?
Let’s take a concrete case: Conad panettone sold online for 3.99 euros. It is not done by Conad, but by Il Vecchio Forno, a confectionery company specializing in naturally leavened baked products.
From their official website:
OUR ORIGINAL YEAST is the creator of the great tradition of goodness of our products. Born from top quality flours, downstream from the Recoaro sources, pervaded by the mountain climate of the nearby Little Dolomites,
it is safeguarded and constantly renewed with passion by those who have always taken care of it.
Il Vecchio Forno is a real company, which produces panettone for professionals. Not an improvised laboratory. And these companies often produce both products intended for supermarkets and those under their own brand (or for other brands).
Conad panettone ingredients
Here’s what we find on the label:
It is not a list “from a chemical laboratory”, but not even that of an artisanal panettone from a pastry shop. The emulsifier is there, the aromas too. No surprises.
Brand versus brand: is it the same panettone as the “branded” one?
Here we come to the sore point: sometimes yes, sometimes no. The manufacturer is often the same, but the recipe can be modified slightly to keep the price down. The main ingredients remain similar (by law and brand dignity), but can change:
In any case, the person producing it is a specialist company, not the supermarket. And it is a real product, often identical or similar to those sold with the manufacturer’s logo.
Thinking that branded panettone is always better just because it costs more is a superficial attitude. The brand does not guarantee goodness, and the supermarket brand product is not automatically a poor relation. The difference exists, but it doesn’t always justify ten euros more. The choice must be made by reading the label, looking at who really produces it, not based only on what is printed on the front.
You can save without necessarily giving up essential quality. We are not talking about gastronomic excellence, nor about pure food survival. Panettone from the supermarket can surprise you, as long as you know what you’re buying. The brand is just a dress, often nothing more than that.
