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Logo ESCA

About us

Since 1956, ESCA has been bringing only the best quality to the table, offering unique and exquisite recipes ready in just a few minutes.

Company profile

Company profile

In 2001, ESCA was the first Italian company to market ready-made frozen fish sauces, creating a new product category in which it is still a leader today.

As the only means of preservation, ESCA chooses freezing, which maintains the taste of the fish and its nutritional properties unchanged.

  • 1

    The best of the seas

    We select the finest seafood from the world’s waters.

  • 2

    High Quality

    We use the highest quality ingredients for our Condipresto product line. No compromises.

  • 3

    Frozen only

    We preserve our products by freezing them to maintain the flavour and nutritional value.

  • 4

    Convenience

    We use see-through packaging so you can see with your own eyes what you'll be eating.

  • 5

    The right recipe

    Our chefs always prepare new and traditional recipes with the perfect blend of flavours.

Our history our future

Our History

In 1956 Luigi Patrizi revolutionizes the nascent frozen fish industry by introducing innovative processing techniques. These later developed when Esca was established in 1968.

Storia

Even today, thanks to the goodness of the product and the infallible production efficiency, ESCA remains the leader in the Italian market with its line of ready-made Condipresto sauces, a product category created in the early 2000s.

Storia
  • 1918

    At a very young age, founder Luigi Patrizi starts to work in the fish market in San Benedetto del Tronto - earning just 5 lire a day, but giving him his first taste for the business.

  • 1946

    Luigi Patrizi begins commercial activities in the industry, providing seafood to hotels, restaurants, and markets in Rome and Milan.

  • 1956

    Luigi Patrizi creats a manual system for curling octopuses by introducing a rotating mixer - something still today used all over the world.

  • 1960

    Esca’s first law-temperature refrigerating room is built in order to extend raw material shelf life.

  • 1968

    Luigi Patrizi lays the foundations for a fishing industry named Esca s.a.s.

    Fish processing originates from both Atlantic and Adriatic fishing. In order to shell clams a highly automatic system strats being used.

    Family pack and vacuum-sealed packages containing frozen seafood are sold in only a few supermarkets in this era.
    The main aim is to boost awareness, to communicate that freezing did not affect the nutritional quality of the product. Such type of conservation was little known and rarely used by food industries beforehand.

  • 1971

    Esca relocates and a new machine is built in order to preserve frozen products in vacuum-sealed packages.

  • 1980

    Between 1980 and 1983 the production is moved to a 18000mq site in Abruzzo, alongside the Tronto river where there the Esca srl headquarters are still based.

  • 1986

    Refrigerating rooms are finished, whilst the use of production techniques and raw material processing becomes automated.

  • 1990

    ESCA revolutionizes the packaging system of frozen seafood by using a new technology known as skin effect: using see-through packaging to enable customers to see what they’re eating with their own eyes.

  • 1992

    Esca starts to sell products to the retail sector. This is partly thanks to its captivating and original packaging, which has a shell-shaped hole on the front, showing off the content inside.

  • 1996

    The production line includes a wide range of products, including pre-fried pastel, fish soups, tagliatelle with salmon, seafood risotto, and spaghetti with seafood.

    The company obtains the ISO 9002 quality certification. Meanwhile, a 25.000 cubic metre refrigerating room are built.

  • 2001

    The new “iCondipresto” line is introduced, with three sauces available: Pronto scoglio, Cozze alla marinara, and Vongolata. These are all frozen sauces to be heated and ready to pan-fry with pasta or risotto, at the customer’s choice.

  • 2017

    The Company is always up to date with the latest industry developments particularly with regards to ingredient quality. From 2017 Esca contributs to secure a better future for the oceans and for people, using MSC and ASC certified fish and seafood in its products. This makes Esca the first in the industry to produce a certified frozen medley with sauce.

  • 2018

    Expansion of the engine room.

    Solar panels now cover 27% of our energy needs with over 1,300,000 kWh of clean energy produced every year.

    Our packaging now sports a completely renewed look that captivates at first glance. With an elegant and modern design, the blue tones evoking the sea and fish give our product a unique and irresistible style.

  • 2019

    Design and implementation of an automatic scale for clams.

    Energy efficiency improvements.

    New "Lobster and Shrimp Ready Sauce": made with the best shelled Argentine shrimp and enriched with the unmistakable taste of lobster, a true blend of flavors.

  • 2020

    Brand new third processing room G, equipped with cutting-edge technology.

  • 2021

    Installation of the new production packaging machine.

    Introduction of two new products on the market, including rice and gnocchi, both with our delicious sauce already inside the packaging.

  • 2022

    Renovation and modernization of Processing Room B.

    Installation of a new high-energy efficiency refrigeration compressor for freezing.

  • 2023

    New multi-head weigher for QF products in pouches.

    Expansion of offices and quality control area to improve and enhance company activities.

  • 2024

    New "Ready-made Seafood Sauce for Spaghetti": made with succulent shrimp, tender mussels, savory squid, and sweet cherry tomatoes, also great with rice.

    Strengthening of cold storage with new high-energy efficiency refrigeration systems, and refrigerant packs for refrigerated and frozen cells.

    Acquisition of a new area of 14,000 sqm, with an existing warehouse of 2,150 sqm covered, construction of a new adjacent refrigerated cell of 3,882 sqm covered with a capacity of 7,690 pallet spaces.

    Strengthening of the European and non-EU markets