Michael Costa
Michael Costa is Editor-In-Chief of Refrigerated & Frozen Foods.
2021 BEST NEW FROZEN RETAIL PRODUCTS CONTEST
#5 – Valpizza SuperNapoli Pizza
Q&A: Marco Setti, CEO, Valpizza
R&FF: Congratulations on placing fifth in our 2021 Best New Frozen Retail Products Contest. What does the recognition mean to Valpizza?
Setti: Many thanks, we’re delighted with this recognition. It’s been a very busy year, and our R&D department has worked hard on new product lines to offer international consumers. Our catering know-how has enabled us to achieve excellent results with regard to quality. We’re very proud of this recognition, and our company has always focused strongly on internationalization, and the United States is definitely a market of strategic importance for us.
R&FF: What innovative features does your SuperNapoli pizza have that helped it finish fifth out of 20 finalists?
Setti: The SuperNapoli range is the perfect blend of tradition and innovation. Our aim is to offer consumers a good, aromatic pizza, just like the one they might eat in an Italian pizzeria. The long natural leavening, hand stretching and baking on stone in a wood-fired oven take consumers on a virtual journey to Naples, to enjoy a product in perfect Neapolitan style. The resulting SuperNapoli pizza is aromatic, light and easy to eat, made from 100% Italian tomato and flours from 100% Italian grains with unique fragrance and flavor.
R&FF: What is unique about Valpizza’s packaging for its SuperNapoli pizza, and other pizzas the company produces?
Setti: The SuperNapoli range’s packaging reflects the product: it’s a simple, authentic pack, that focuses attention on the product--a pizza so good it has no need for enhancement, even on the pack. We chose very bright colors, as vibrant as the sounds and colors of the city of Naples itself. A pack that will brighten your mood, just like eating the delicious pizza inside. What’s more, the individual pack colors help consumers to identify the various flavors, and the effect on the shelf is attractive and distinctive.
"The SuperNapoli packaging is a simple, authentic pack, that focuses attention on the product--a pizza so good it has no need for enhancement, even on the pack. We chose very bright colors, as vibrant as the sounds and colors of the city of Naples itself," says Valpizza CEO, Marco Setti. Photos courtesy of Valpizza.
R&FF: How many stores is Valpizza’s SuperNapoli in today, and what is the retail reach of the Valpizza brand and its products?
Setti: As of today, the product is distributed in about 300 stores in the U.S.A., but it’s attracting a great deal of interest and we have various deals in the pipeline. Unfortunately, the pandemic has slowed down a lot of decision-making processes. Valpizza actually already enjoys a large presence in the U.S.A. and worldwide as a co-packer of private labels. Our products, which include pizza, snacks, calzoni, and more, are available in more than 35 countries, in both retail and foodservice channels. The product lines under our own brand also help us to inspire our customers, and to work with them to raise the quality offered to the end consumer.
Valpizza's Take & Bake line of pizzas are made and frozen at the company's plant in Bologna, Italy, and distributed to several countries, including the U.S. Once the pizzas are in stores, they can be thawed and sold fresh in the deli section with a five-day shelf life.
R&FF: Logistically, how are your products distributed to North American and European stores—especially since the pizza is produced in the Bologna area—and does Valpizza have a direct-to-consumer or e-commerce strategy?
Setti: Our organization gives us easy access to the entire U.S.A., and thanks to our two frozen foods warehouses and distribution agreements with leading logistics companies, we can provide our customers with flexible service and satisfy every kind of clientele. Our e-commerce program is now well established. We’re already present country-wide with private-label products, and our own products will soon be joining them, as in Europe and Asia.
R&FF: What sustainable programs does Valpizza have today? What areas of sustainability are most important to your company?
Setti: Our factory is in northern Italy, in the beautiful hills above Bologna. We have close links to our community and our natural surroundings, and our factory is equipped with photovoltaic plants and energy recovery systems. In 2021 we’ll be building a new production plant, a model for sustainability in our industry.
R&FF: What’s on the horizon for Valpizza the rest of 2021 and into 2022?
Setti: We’re currently able to offer a wide range of both frozen and fresh products. Quality always is first in our philosophy, and we’ll be extending our family by adding new production companies this summer. This will enable us to offer our customers new products and new convenience concepts.
