#3 – Cappello’s Almond Flour Pastas

R&FF: Congratulations on placing third in our 2021 Best New Frozen Retail Products Contest. What does the recognition mean to Cappello’s?

Frohlichstein: Our crew is so honored that we have been recognized out of the many great frozen products that were contestants this year. We feel that this acknowledgment is a testament to the quality of the ingredients that our pastas are made with and show the true value of having restaurant-quality products available in the frozen section.

R&FF: What innovative features do your almond flour pastas have that helped it finish third out of 20 finalists?

Frohlichstein: We were inspired to create dishes that could be enjoyed by all regardless of dietary restriction as we saw a need for simple, real-food ingredients in the frozen, gluten-free category. Many foods that are gluten-free are not necessarily the best for those consuming them as many items use grains that have been chemically altered to achieve their gluten-free status. Being around for the last 10 years, we are passionate about going beyond the moniker of grain-free and strive to reshape the frozen food paradigm in a more sustainable direction focused on foods that never compromise on taste or texture so that consumers can be really excited to eat them. We feel that voters really saw that we are keeping true quality in mind and voted accordingly.

R&FF: What is unique about Cappello’s packaging for its pastas?

Frohlichstein: Our talented design team is focused on creating opportunities for Cappello’s through connecting with consumers before they even taste our products. Our crew’s main design principle is to keep things simple. Just as our products use as few real food ingredients as possible, our packaging leverages simple black and white patterning paired with a modern typeface and lots of white negative space to keep the focus on the principal pieces of communication, making the messaging and the pastas on the front eye-catching and easy to connect with.

R&FF: What stores are Cappello’s products sold in today?

Frohlichstein: Our pastas can be found in Whole Foods Market nationwide, select Walmart stores, Sprouts, Natural Grocers, Wegmans, Erewhon Market, Lassens Natural Foods & Vitamins, Bristol Farms, and Valley Natural Foods.

R&FF: Does Cappello’s have a direct-to-consumer or e-commerce strategy?

Frohlichstein: Our items are available direct-to-consumer through our website Cappellos.com and can be found on Amazon through Whole Foods Market direct.

R&FF: What sustainable programs does Cappello’s have today? What areas of sustainability are most important to your company?

Frohlichstein: Our crew is currently working with Land To Market of the Savory Institute, the world’s first verified regenerative sourcing solution for meat, wool, dairy and leather. We are collaborating closely with their team to find where we are able to take steps in incorporating ingredients that are regenerative into our products.

R&FF: What’s on the horizon for Cappello’s the rest of 2021 and into 2022?

Frohlichstein: We are passionate about continuing our product innovation and will have some new, grain-free foods popping up later this summer. We are also in the process of expanding our distribution in many areas including Safeway, Safemart, and Lucky stores in California, and for our friends on the East Coast, Cappello’s can now be found in Giant Martin.