In the Veneto region, there are many family-run businesses producing artisanal products that are at the heart of the ‘made in Italy’. Among those, the food industry in the area is quite big and diverse. Loison embodies the perfect synergy between traditional pastry and sweets art along with the cutting-edge use of modern machinery and digital.
During my trip back home, I had the opportunity to visit their factory, located in Costabissara in the province of Vicenza. I was blown away by the history of Loison. Dario Loison, the owner, focused specifically on pastry and sweets production and developed a strong relationship with the producers of the best Italian products in order to source high-quality raw materials.
Finally, he exported his products abroad, creating a high-end brand of typical Venetian sweets, among which the most famous ones are Pandoro, Panettone, and Colomba. Loison nowadays stands for luxury sweets and it is available only in selected outlets, carefully chosen by Dario Loison, through developing a trustworthy relationship.
A brief overview of the origins
We had the opportunity to take a private tour at the Loison factory. Edoardo, the son of Dario and Sonia Loison, welcomed us. He shared the family history with a lot of passion and showed us around the factory, an incredible journey to learn the art of the best Venetian sweet maker of Veneto.
We started the visit from the Museum, where there was an extensive exhibition of all their collections and old photos, which well showed the Loison origins dated back to 1938. Since then, Loison was a famous bakery. Later, Dario’s father focused instead on the wedding pastry. But it is only with Dario that the company focused on producing artisanal Italian pastry for holiday seasons such as Christmas, Easter, and every day and become well-known all around the world.
The Museum has as well the oldest machinery used in the past to produce the sweets. And there is also a library, which truly mesmerized me for the richness of volumes and cooking books.
Last but not least, there is a cellar. Edoardo told us that every sweet has a specific wine pairing, available on their website. I liked this touch as pairing is essential to enhance and complement the flavor of the food. Loison suggests an exciting pairing for their delicious range of sweets and cakes, which you should definitely enjoy with a good glass of wine.
The Products
Loison produces a wide range of cakes and cookies, but their main production is Panettone, followed by Pandoro and Colomba. So what is the difference between Panettone, Pandoro, and Colomba?
Panettone
It is a sweet Italian bread, that we usually consume between Christmas and New Year. Panettone is filled with sultanas, which are added dry and not soaked. It is round, and it reaches a height between 30 and 38 inches (12-15 cm). Panettone is made with mother yeast and leavened for 72 hours; its base is wrapped in a dark brown paper. There are several variations: with candied oranges and lemons, with chocolate, with sultanas soaked in Prosecco ( a tasty Loison specialty).
Pandoro
It is typical of the Verona area. Popular as well during the Christmas holidays, it is sectioned with an eight-pointed start. Unlike Panettone, it has no raisins or candied fruit, the dough has more butter and it has a shorter raising process. It is topped with icing sugar and it is not wrapped with paper around its base.
Colomba
It is a typical Easter dessert that has the shape of a dove, hence the name. It has no sultanas, but it has instead candied oranges and lemon. The top is dusted with sugar and almond that become crunchy and incredibly yummy after the baking. Tradition tells that Colomba was, in reality, a classic Venetian sweet that only the nobles ate. Others say instead it was originated in Milan.
Loison produces also other sweets and cookies, that will accompany you all year around. During my stay at home, my parents treated us with a fragrant selection of typical Venetian cookies, that Rob and I dipped in the coffee.
Loison savoir-faire
Edoardo Loison shared what is at the heart of Loison artisanal excellence. First of all, the secret of such great sweets is the prolonged leavening process. It is obtained with mother yeast that has been handed down generation after generation to get a natural sourdough with low acidity.
To this, Loison adds a great selection of raw material coming from selected areas. To name a few there are the lemons from Amalfi and Sorrento, he salt from Cervia and the vanilla from Madagascar.
Most of these areas are Slow Food Presidia, protected by the homonymous association for the very small quantity produced and their market availability.
And last what is making Loison products so classy and elegant is the design—developed and curated in house by Sonia Loison, the wife of Dario Loison. Each of their different lines has a specific look and feel, designed with attention to each detail. The high-end line of Loison is Genesi, and the packaging already tells you a story. The wrapping paper has a typical decor that emphasizes the bond with art and territory. It recalls the details of the arch and columns of the Palladian villas. Palladio is an architect from Veneto that built a vast number of beautiful villas and churches during the Renaissance period all scattered around the Veneto region, with a higher concentration in the Vicenza province.
I liked this detail as I found enticing to link a luxury cake to the cultural heritage of the Veneto region. The elegant ribbon and the little L charms are the perfect complements. This collection is nit only a luxury for yourself and your family but it is also a very classy and unique gift idea. .
A sweet ending
Loison is a place that will mesmerize your senses. The entire factory smells like sweets freshly baked. All the cookies, the production process, and the Museum will gratify your view, and finally, a delicious slice of goodness satisfies your taste.
Edoardo offered us a slice of Panettone filled with chocolate and salted caramel. That soft dough with a filling of mouthwatering chocolaty salted caramel hit the spots! Rob and I ended up visiting their cute store, which looks like one of those classy pastry shops you can find in a typical Italian town. We bought more sweets and treats to bring back to Dubai. We will have a sweet memory and an excuse to eat more Panettone, not only at Christmas but all year as Loison Panettone deserves.
