Premium tinned tomatoes have entered the spotlight as Italian brand Mutti prepares to overtake Napolina as the UK's leading non-supermarket brand. Priced at around £1.60 per tin, compared to 50p for own-label and £1 for Napolina, Mutti has achieved an 11% market share in the 12 weeks to February, according to market data. The family-owned company, which arrived in the UK in 2020, increased sales by 19% last year to €26.2m (about £22.4m) in the UK and Ireland.
Marketing Campaign and Expansion
Mutti's success is bolstered by a £6m marketing campaign, including TV adverts and a promotional van touring UK cities such as Manchester, Liverpool, Edinburgh, and Cardiff. The brand now offers ready-made sauces and ketchup, expanding beyond its core tinned tomatoes, passata, and paste. Francesco Mutti, great-grandson of one of the founders, attributes the brand's popularity to its focus on taste. "We think and believe that it can really play a significant role in a cuisine," he said during a London visit to launch the van tour. "It's not Champagne but it has dignity, and is full of flavour."
Supply Chain and Consumer Trends
Mutti works with 1,000 farming families across Italy, processing tomatoes over about 70 days from mid-July to late September. UK boss Dhiresh Hirani credits word-of-mouth and a shift towards cooking from scratch since the Covid lockdowns for the brand's growth. Despite higher prices, the cost of living crisis has boosted sales as households eating at home seek quality ingredients. "That's what did allow us to build our distribution," Hirani said, noting the brand has expanded from Sainsbury's and Waitrose to all major supermarkets by 2024.
Challenges from Energy Costs and Climate
However, rising fuel and energy costs due to the Middle East conflict and extreme weather from climate change are pressuring margins. Francesco Mutti warned that if energy prices do not drop by July, margins will suffer, and potential price increases from packaging suppliers may be passed on to supermarkets and consumers. The company has installed solar panels to offset electricity costs but cannot cover all energy needs for processing. "We cannot anticipate, we cannot postpone. We can do nothing. We can just pay the energy in that momentum and transform the tomatoes when they are perfectly ripe," he said, highlighting the industry's dependence on seasonal energy prices.
