Let's meet Astrid Kinigadner, manager of Allegra Epicerie and discover her exceptional Italian products in the heart of Vieil Alby.
Introduce yourself and tell us about your background?
My name is Astrid Kinigadner, I am Italian and I come from the Dolomites which are located in South Tyrol in Italy (Northern Italy near the Austrian border and Switzerland), a real cultural and culinary melting pot . I grew up in a family of grocers and we've been in the gastronomy and hotel business for 6 generations, it's a real family passion. I grew up there and for me it was very clear what I was going to do as a professional career, so I studied international business and foreign languages.
3 years ago, we moved to Albi, previously we had lived 10 years in the United States (New York, Miami) and then we came back to Albi, my spouse Olivier being Albigensian.
We love Albi a lot and that's why I decided to open this small grocery store with only artisanal products, I import everything from Italy, these are relationships that I have had for a very long time, including the The work ethic is exemplary in terms of the quality of the products offered.
Every year, we came to spend holidays in Albi, it reminds me a bit of Italian Tuscany.
The store has been open since May 31, 2022. We are located in the heart of the city in the street of the town hall, we see many Albigensians but also visitors discovering the culinary riches of Italy. We have many loyal customers who appreciate Italian cuisine, simple cuisine with good ingredients and tasty.
I like to bring an additional touch to my customers by making them taste the products, offer some advice, suggest typical recipes. We have exceptional Italian products, not only in terms of quality but also in terms of the type of product. For example, I sell caper leaves or colatura di alicidi (anchovy sauce) and people rarely know about it. You will also find Italian caviar, 24-month-old organic parmesan made by hand, the best of Italy.
At the back of the shop, we have a small terrace where you can have a little coffee, eat an ice cream, nibble on a small burrata with pesto, quick and healthy little things.
We are open from Tuesday to Saturday inclusive from 9:30 a.m. to 13 p.m. and from 14:30 p.m. to 19 p.m. and in the summer, I will extend my hours to be open a little later in the evening. We are present on Instagram et Facebook and I am in the process of finalizing my website and offering a fairly unique service in online sales where I want more personalization, the customer will have the possibility of making a remote appointment in video where I can interact and respond to the request with advice in the choice of products, etc.
Contact:
Themes
