Jessika Pini
The market of pasta in Italy is saturated and in Europe, in the first quarter of 2015, sales of Italian brands recorded a decrease by 8%. This is a difficult situation in which Agnesi brand, Colussi Group, tries a repositioning related to its territory of origin, Liguria, and diversifies its production, widening it to the field of sauces and products in oil, rigorously belonging to the culinary and productive tradition of Liguria.
Beginning from the end of September, Agnesi will be on both Italian and foreign markets with the first seven packaged products under its own brand included in ‘Eccellenze Liguri (Excellences from Liguria)’ line. The search for recipes and raw materials that could better characterize the concept of typical products from Liguria has been entrusted to the University of Gastronomic Sciences at Pollenzo. Among the references, ‘Pesto alla Genovese’ could not be absent. It is unpasteurized, prepared with PDO basil, extra virgin olive oil, Italian pine seeds. Two recipes little known outside of Liguria are interesting and original: ‘Sardenaira’, prepared with tomato paste, dried tomatoes, anchovies, EVO, onion, garlic, oregano. It was born, and is still used, in order to stuff ‘Focaccia (flat bread)’and is proposed as a sauce. ‘Pesto di fave – Marò’ was originally used as a seasoning for roasted meats (sheep and goat) and is proposed as an appetizer, spread on bread or as a sauce. Raw artichokes and trumpet shaped marrows refer to horticultural tradition of Liguria, while ‘Tranci di palamita (bonito steaks) from Ligurian Sea’ and ‘bonito sauce from Ligurian Sea’ refer to marine culture.
Alberto Guazzini, business unit manager for first courses, and Pasquale Peluso, marketing manager Agnesi, explain: ‘With ‘Eccellenze liguri’ project, we do not aim so much at large volumes, but at giving value to our brand. For the selection of raw materials, respect for seasonality, which may also involve selling out of some references and safeguard of biodiversity, through the proposal of such little-known products or typical varieties as trumpet shaped marrows, Agnesi pursues an intermediate position between mass products and gourmet ones. So, Agnesi aims at being present in both specialized markets and large-scale retail trade. As for foreign market, we believe that for buyers the products of this line will be a proposal for differentiating the shelf products and are perfect for the restaurants that also carry out retail as well as for the whole traditional Anglo-Saxon retail network’.
Such other references as oil and olives are being studied.
