The History

Since 1980, ours is a family story made of ingredients, research and artisan passion. An exciting journey that transforms memories and passions into unforgettable flavours. 

Chocolate is not just a sweet. It is a way to create emotions.

Nice to meet you, I'm
Gabriele Maiolani.

I am a Maître Chocolatier, but I prefer to say that I make chocolate.

Every chocolate bar begins with a simple gesture: choosing authentic ingredients, respecting them and letting them tell their story.

For over forty years I have carried on a tradition started by my mother Odilla, transforming selected raw materials into products that speak of territory, memory and passion.

1980

Bottega Storica Odilla Bastoni – Torino

It all began thanks to my mother Odilla.

The story of my chocolate begins in 1980, with Odilla — my mother. A celebrated painter of French ceramics, she worked alongside master chocolatiers from across the Alps, who sought out her hand-painted cake stands.

Among them, André Sauvadet, who agreed to take me on in his brigade. In his workshop in Lapalisse, near Vichy, I realised this was the craft I wanted to pursue for the rest of my life.

In those years I tried to learn everything I could, from ensemblement to ingredient blending, from the importance of raw materials to the most sophisticated techniques.

2001

I had the honor of being named Master of Taste among the chocolatiers of Turin.

From an apprentice, with effort and passion, I became an assistant and then Chocolatier, concluding my training at Tain l'Hermitage.

I wanted to bring the French experience home, in Turin, where in 2004 I opened my laboratory. André supported me for 3 years in all the productions preceding Christmas and Easter and I still keep his recipe book today: his cahier is a source of inspiration for my creations.

I had the honor of being named Maestro del Gusto among the chocolatiers of Turin, a title of which I am very proud.

2019

Over the years I have had the fortune and passion to experiment with ingredients…

Thanks to encounters with prestigious companies, visionary entrepreneurs, big-hearted people who wanted to tell their story through chocolate. Like Cantine Ceretto, where my chocolate met the Piedmontese Hazelnut IGP in the new gianduja recipe.