OUR HISTORY
“Universo” was born in Florence, a city recognised for centuries as the cradle of art and architecture, birthplace of the Renaissance and of great artists such as Leonardo da Vinci and Michelangelo, and also well-known all over the world for the Florentine steak, a precious legacy of the Medici family.
In the 1950s Gino Filieri, the founder, inspired by the greatness of such a beautiful city and by his belief that barbecued cuisine – the primordial process of cooking food – was actually the best way to cook food, started to handcraft top quality, uniquely designed charcoal roasters and grills for the catering sector.
It was Gino himself who designed the first wood-burning roasters with a planetary system, an innovation that has now become a standard in the sector, and who introduced the mechanical grid position system, today one of the most appreciated features of our products.
In addition to his great technical skills, Gino had remarkable business abilities and he turned the name “Universo” into a synonym for roasters in Italy, becoming a true benchmark for this product with his company.
In the 1980s his son Mauro took over the father’s business, introducing many innovations and extending the product range with new items such as lava stone grills and electric and gas roasters.
Moreover, he designed “Tuscany”, a wood fire grill, a unique creation in the sector which has become an iconic product of “Universo”.
In 2022 the adventure of Universo continues thanks to two new partners, passionate about the world of grilling, who, with Mario’s help, decide to keep alive the great value of Universo products, with the mission of Universo Grill: we gather people around a table.
