Young Azeglio’s adventure in the field of coffee roasting started in Rome, in 1950, pursuing the aim of realizing a high quality espresso coffee respecting tradition. Alongside with his wife, three children, and son-in-law, Francesco Geracitano, who since the end of Eighties joined the management, Azeglio contributed to the growth of his company, ‘Caffè Haiti Roma’, proposing quality blends coming from selected raw materials, processed according to the best traditional methods. The result is that 'delight in a cup', appreciated for years both in Italy and abroad. From the initial target audience, the Italian bar area, to which blends of espresso coffee beans are proposed, Caffè Haiti Roma roasting company expands its commercial field, by integrating it with compostable coffee pods in paper for restaurants, hotels, and offices, as well as the prestigeous Organic and Fairtrade Line, which consists of bar blends in beans, compostable coffee pods, and ground coffee packages with aroma protection valve.
The Traditional, the Organic and Fairtrade Line
At present, the top of the line proposed by Caffè Haiti Roma is ‘Gran Riserva’, a bar espresso rich in pleasant sensory nuances, derived from the finest selection of 100% Arabica coffee, characterized by a full and intense flavour, result of years of experience and passion, which won the Gold Medal at the 2008 edition of the ‘International Coffee Tasting’, the competition organized by the International Coffee Tasters Institute. It is also available in the 'Decaffeinated' version. About 10,000 kg per year are produced.
To the ‘Gran Riserva’ version, other ones are added: ‘Maxiaroma’, the most sold blend in Italy, leader in the project 'Magic Italy in Tour', which for eight months has touched the most important European capitals, and ‘Pridom coffee’, the entry level blend ideal for those who prefer a stable and full-body coffee, the most sold and requested abroad, too, whose production is of 40,000 kg per year.
More recently, Caffè Haiti Roma has entered the organic world, with a 100% organic and 100% fairtrade certified line, made up of three references of coffee beans, two of ground coffee, and a blend in compostable coffee pods, all coming from selected raw materials grown without the use of chemicals and pesticides, in harmony with the environment. Finally, the 100% organic line is integrated by the health drinks line, a rich assortment of barley and herbal teas in pods.
Packaging and certifications
A careful attention to packaging characterizes Caffè Haiti Roma, because this is the first element which allows consumers to recognize a quality product; so, in 2009 Caffè Haiti Roma renewed its packaging. The preservation of coffee, too, is treated in detail, by means of the use of special packaging with valve or vacuum aroma protection, in order to provide customers with a product which can be used as if it was freshly roasted. The constant pursuit of quality in each stage of the production process, from selection of raw materials to the final ‘delight in a cup’, led Caffè Haiti Roma roasting company to achieve the triple certification as company with Integrated certified system for quality (ISO 9001), environment (ISO 14001), and safety (OHSAS 18001); in addition, more recently the company has also achieved the certification for organic agriculture (ICEA G1993), and fairtrade (FLO Fairtrade ID 23810). All these certifications, over the years, have allowed a better definition and recognition of the different products proposed by Caffè Haiti Roma, placing them in a market segment characterized by consumers careful to quality and health.
Francesco Geracitano, President of the company, specifies: «Since our company is medium-sized and artisanal, to us it has been very important to be able to create, both at a national and international level, a kind of brand awareness, especially thanks to an extensive presence in the main exhibitions and important synergies with organizations and associations. At present, the most interesting markets are Northern Europe, North America, Middle and Far East. The commitment we are pursuing is aimed at both the traditional Line and the organic and fairtrade line. Another strategic aspect we intend to develop is the e-commerce sector: at present we have already an e-commerce section on our website, but we aim at developing this segment more and more ».
