CEO, Francesco Mutti, is the 4th generation of the Mutti family, a company which is committed to respect for nature and people, sustainable and long-term growth and uncompromised quality.
Tell us about the Mutti company
For more than 120 years, my family has been focusing our passion into making the highest quality 100% Italian tomato products possible. Naturally, it all starts with the top raw material: tomatoes grown under sunny skies, in the right soil, and nourished by just the right amount of water. We are firm believers that the best-tasting products are born from a respect for people and nature, and from a dedication to innovation. Nature and nurture, working with more than 800 expert farmers who share the same goals, built after working together long term – often over generations, across Italy – from our original home in Parma, in the ‘Food Valley’ of the north, to Apulia in the south – we cultivate flavourful tomato varieties, with the perfect colour and sweetness. We know every farmer personally and we choose to pay on average 12.7%i above market prices for the best of the annual crop, executing over 600,000 quality tests a year. This long-term partnership and higher pay means farmers are able to invest in their farms, both to improve their crops for even better quality and to find new ways to protect the environment. For us it means offering customers the incredible flavour and quality Mutti is known for, as well as a promise that products are cultivated sustainably and with respect.
How is the tomato category and Mutti performing in the UK?
Following double digit growth in 2021 due to the pandemic, the ambient tomatoes category is seeing -7.4% decline in value* but there are positive signs of recovery so far this year with the category down -3.4%**.
As a family company that has been dedicated to tomatoes for more than 4 generations, and today no. 1 brand across multiple markets in Europe, we have made a significant contribution to the category in the UK adding £4.4m over the last 12 months and adding £2.1m in 2022 so far***. This has taken our share of the category to 5.8%, making us now the No.2 brand in the UK****. We are spearheading an exciting reinvigoration of the category and we are committed to investment to ensure the recent consumer reconnection is a springboard for long-term value growth and premiumisation.
How are you educating and inspiring consumers to engage with the category?
We take a category-leading approach to help drive long-term market growth in partnership with our key customers. Our research enables us to learn who UK tomato consumers are, their drivers and motivations, and why they are willing to pay more for better products, both from a quality and operational perspective. These insights and our efforts and investment help retailers and consumers to better understand and choose the best-tasting tomato product.
By sharing our expertise and values we are bringing the tomato as close as possible to them and explaining what makes the best-quality tomato – how to use it, the processes that go into farming it and its natural lifecycle.
Examples include our investment in key consumer activations such as TV advertising. We filmed a campaign in Parma, Italy during the harvest 2021, taking viewers on a journey of discovery, to learn about our uncompromising quality, the harvest and production, and respectful and sustainable practices.
Plus, inspired by our annual Pomodorino d’Oro (Golden Tomato) award, presented to the farmer who supplies the best-quality produce using sustainable practices, we have created an annual culinary competition, Golden Tomato Cook, which recognises and rewards the UK’s best tomato cook, encouraging UK consumers to get familiar with the different attributes of our Mutti Essentials, learning that there is a right tomato for every dish. Entries for the 2022 competition open on 26th September.
This September we also launched an exciting shopper promotion, to bring excitement to the category at shelf – ‘Win a Golden Tomato Experience’ – which gives consumers the chance to win a trip to our home in Parma along with thousands of free product coupons. To enter consumers simply need to buy any Mutti product in participating stores and upload their receipt via the winwithmutti.co.uk website.
These activities are to help consumers recognise there is a different tomato standard, and select the healthiest, most tasty version available.
What are the key products in your range that retailers should be stocking?
The Mutti Essentials range. From Polpa and Peeled to Passata and Purée, there’s a right tomato product suited to whatever dish you’re making: Polpa – rich, fresh and juicy, with a unique finely chopped texture which gives the benefit of an abundance of tomato pieces in every bite. Peeled – versatile firm, fleshy peeled tomatoes in a smooth, passata, with a delicate flavour. Passata – a velvety smooth purée with a touch of sweetness, adding a creaminess to dishes. Double Concentrated Purée – the pure essence of tomato, a bold, dense paste with 700g of fresh tomatoes condensed into a 130g tube. We also have a range of pasta and pizza sauces.
What advice can you offer to retailers to maximise sales?
1. Trade Up
Ensure shoppers can trade up to premium-quality tomatoes such as Mutti. This could increase AWP by 50% (£1.35/£0.90).
2. Make tomatoes a destination
Use POS to signpost the category to create inspiration and authenticity.
3. Enhance visibility
Ensure premium brands such as Mutti tomatoes are positioned at eye level to encourage shoppers to trade up, are well-stocked on shelf and priced correctly. With new HFSS regulations effective from October 2022, consider using premium tomato brands like Mutti for a secondary feature to drive category growth.
4. Create excitement
Shift the dial from tomatoes being a functional product to building an emotional connection with the category. Make tomatoes the hero of the dish by educating shoppers on the different tomato varieties, cooking times, textures, flavours and product selection.
5. Capitalise on seasonal events and focus periods
Maximise the opportunity to align POS, promotions and feature in-store with our key investment and communications periods throughout the year. Bring excitement to the category with Italian-themed events such as National Pizza Day.
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