This is a highly personal list. It’s not based on impact, scale, uniqueness or anything like that. It’s just a list of Italian brands that I love. Brands that sum up what my homeland means to me. So, in no particular order, here goes.

1 Barilla

I feel disloyal saying this, given that I spent several years of my life as the Buitoni brand manager. Sadly, Buitoni is no longer with us nowadays - despite my best efforts. Instead, I’ve always got a pack of Barilla in my cupboard. More specifically, Barilla Spaghetti No.5. For me it has the perfect width and texture for spaghetti. This doesn’t mean I’m entirely loyal to Barilla. As all students of Ehrenburg Bass understand, as a heavy pasta user, I buy all kinds of brands. I’m still searching for the perfect rigatoni - La Molisano does a great one. And I always love interesting soup pasta shapes - Da Cecco is always good.

2 Alessi

I’ve recently packed away my Alessi Christmas tree - I love it. Whenever I use my Alessi coffee maker, it brings a smile to my face. Alessi is a brand full of wit and style. I guess its most iconic piece is the lemon juicer designed by Philippe Starck. It’s an expensive brand, so I don’t possess many of their items. But when I feel the need to upgrade my cutlery, Alessi is the first place I’d look.

3 Bianchi

Now and again I think about buying a cool carbon bike. If I did buy one, it would have to be a Bianchi. I usually talk myself out of it, given the price and the fact that I already own about 6 bikes. Bianchi is all about the colour, what it calls Celeste. It looks so good. Bianchi has a great heritage. It was made famous by one of my cycling heroes, Fausto Coppi. France may have the greatest bike ride in the world, but Italy makes the coolest bike gear. Campagnola beats Shimano every time.

4 Peroni

For beer, it was a tough choice between Peroni and Moretti, but Peroni shades it. I love the Moretti guy with the moustache, but Peroni is a bit more stylish. Also one of my favourite restaurants in Rome - Pasquale Pulcini - has an old Peroni sign painted on it.

I’ve noticed in recent years that Italians are getting more and more into beer. The ‘craft beer’ section in Italian supermarkets seems to be growing and occasionally I go to Italian microbreweries such as this one. Another brand I’m starting to buy is Ichnusa from Sardinia, particularly the unfiltered version.

5 Benetton

Benetton was at its peak in the 80s and 90s, when ‘United Colours of Benetton’ was everywhere. I loved it then and I love it now. It feels that it’s past its prime, but whenever I go to Italy I call in on a Benetton and always find things I like. You don’t see many stores in the UK nowadays. I bought a lovely linen jacket last year. It reminds me a bit of Uniqlo, in that it’s mainstream yet stylish. Benetton still has its distinctive colour palette and wearing their clothes always makes me feel nostalgic.

6 Mutti

I’ve tried lots of tinned tomato brands, but I keep coming back to Mutti. Smooth, rich and delicious. It’s my go-to brand for pasta sauce and pizza topping. There’s always a stash in my cupboard. At a push, I’d buy Cirio if Mutti’s not available, but it’s never quite as good. I love their printed tins and often you see them on display in posh Italian delis.

7 Campari

There are lots of gin brands out there, but there’s only one Campari. It’s the irreplaceable heart of my favourite cocktail - the Negroni. I also love Campari and Soda. Whenever I make one, I’m immediately transported to sun Summer evenings in Italy. I quite like an Aperol spritz, but is still not as nice as a Campari spritz. Just perfect.

8 Lavazza

Whenever I use an Italian Moka Pot to make coffee, I usually use Lavazza. It’s finely ground with that distinctive bitter, espresso taste. Perfect to get you going in the morning. I love the way the smell fills up the kitchen when it’s ready. It reminds me of my childhood. I sometimes buy Illy, but it’s much more expensive. I guess it must be the lovely tin it comes in. I drink so much coffee that I panic a bit when my stocks are getting low.

Summary

I could go on, but I’ll stop there. I’ve not even mentioned Italian chocolate brands, the great Italian car brands, or the world of fashion. There are so many Italian brands that play an important part in our lives. These are my favourites. I’d love to hear yours.