Canteens and nutrition
Food has always been a key part of Pirelli’s corporate welfare programme. Right from the early twentieth century, industrial expansion was accompanied by the need for premises where workers could eat the meals they brought from home. In 1915 the first refectory was set up in the Bicocca factory. A few years later, the Cooperativa Cucine Popolari was entrusted with preparing food for the workers and in 1924 came the first kitchen inside the plant, providing hot meals for the workers. A number of refectories were built in the various departments (three opened in 1937, serving 3,600 guests per day) and a canteen was built for the workers, followed by a canteen for the office staff. During the Second World War, nutrition was always a problem, so the factories opened company outlets which guaranteed basic necessities such as rice, pasta, butter and cheese and in 1943 a “Food Office” was set up to oversee the kitchens and refectories and canteens, as well as the company outlets and food warehouses. The canteens were reorganised in the post-war period. In 1955 the workers’ canteen was modernised. Construction started on a new building for the office workers, however, which included an 800-seat canteen that could serve up to 2,000 meals per shift, with a total of 6,000 meals per day. The project was entrusted to the architect Giulio Minoletti and to the engineer Giuseppe Chiodi, who created a setting that was a perfect blend of aesthetics, functionality and comfort. As the designers themselves put it, it was “one of the most modern examples of social development undertaken by an Italian industry”. 86 metres long and 35 wide, the building receives light from a large window that stretches across an entire side, through which one looks out over a pond and a lawn. The colour of the yellow chairs and red tables predominates inside. The food is delivered rapidly by conveyor belts from the kitchen to a serving counter, with a system to keep the food hot. Diners could help themselves at the counter – the first time a self-service system had been introduced in Italy.
Still today, food is at the heart of Pirelli’s policies for ensuring the well-being of its employees. A company restaurant was recently opened inside the Cinturato Building, which opened in 2020 to house training and welfare services. In a bright setting overlooking the garden of the Bicocca degli Arcimboldi, diners can also enjoy their meals out of doors and there is great focus on the quality of ingredients and a healthy style of cooking.
Food has always been a key part of Pirelli’s corporate welfare programme. Right from the early twentieth century, industrial expansion was accompanied by the need for premises where workers could eat the meals they brought from home. In 1915 the first refectory was set up in the Bicocca factory. A few years later, the Cooperativa Cucine Popolari was entrusted with preparing food for the workers and in 1924 came the first kitchen inside the plant, providing hot meals for the workers. A number of refectories were built in the various departments (three opened in 1937, serving 3,600 guests per day) and a canteen was built for the workers, followed by a canteen for the office staff. During the Second World War, nutrition was always a problem, so the factories opened company outlets which guaranteed basic necessities such as rice, pasta, butter and cheese and in 1943 a “Food Office” was set up to oversee the kitchens and refectories and canteens, as well as the company outlets and food warehouses. The canteens were reorganised in the post-war period. In 1955 the workers’ canteen was modernised. Construction started on a new building for the office workers, however, which included an 800-seat canteen that could serve up to 2,000 meals per shift, with a total of 6,000 meals per day. The project was entrusted to the architect Giulio Minoletti and to the engineer Giuseppe Chiodi, who created a setting that was a perfect blend of aesthetics, functionality and comfort. As the designers themselves put it, it was “one of the most modern examples of social development undertaken by an Italian industry”. 86 metres long and 35 wide, the building receives light from a large window that stretches across an entire side, through which one looks out over a pond and a lawn. The colour of the yellow chairs and red tables predominates inside. The food is delivered rapidly by conveyor belts from the kitchen to a serving counter, with a system to keep the food hot. Diners could help themselves at the counter – the first time a self-service system had been introduced in Italy.
Still today, food is at the heart of Pirelli’s policies for ensuring the well-being of its employees. A company restaurant was recently opened inside the Cinturato Building, which opened in 2020 to house training and welfare services. In a bright setting overlooking the garden of the Bicocca degli Arcimboldi, diners can also enjoy their meals out of doors and there is great focus on the quality of ingredients and a healthy style of cooking.
