While it may seem that innovation in the frozen pasta category is not as abundant as in other areas, crafting products that appeal to many consumers is a never-ending process. Additionally, as healthier trends become more and more prevalent, the amount of research conducted before the final product is showcased grows each year.
“Our R&D department worked really hard to achieve a product, completely made with vegetables and legume-based flour, which had the consistency and the color of traditional pasta,” Surgital representatives say regarding their latest product, Laboratorio Tortellini vegetable, pea, and lentil linguine. “Working mainly with the Foodservice, it was really important to us to avoid bright-colored pasta, which could have limited the chef for the pairing with sauces and other condiments.” The luxury par excellence, truffles are the true protagonists of the new Sugosi recipe, Sugosi Truffle Sauce, that is mixed with only a few essential ingredients that bring out their aroma.
“Creamy and velvety, our Truffle Sauce encapsulates not only the unmistakable flavor and perfume of this delicious tuber, but also preserves its texture: indeed, in this sauce, the truffle is not chopped or minced, but instead sliced into flakes that remain intact, keeping their consistency, making every spoonful of sauce richer.” Surgital representatives add that in the past years, they have noticed a shift in customer consumption choices, and, the outbreak of the COVID-19 pandemic reinforced, and maybe accelerate, this trend. More aware of the impact that daily choices have on the environment, consumers are more and more looking for plant-based, healthy, and sustainable options both at home and in restaurants, they add.
According to them, Surgital is a company that was born from the dream and entrepreneurial thrive of Romana Tamburini and her husband Edoardo Bacchini, who in 1987, inspired by the work of the “sfogline”, patented the machine for making graganelli – a typical format of pasta from the Emilia-Romagna region. “The intuition of using the cold to preserve pasta also dates to those years, thus we became among the first to start selling fresh frozen pasta. At the time, pasta was still always and only rigorously made by hand. The market was not immediately supportive, but Romana and Edoardo’s determination did not give in, on the contrary, they strengthened behind that great dream of innovation. A dream that was then able to turn into reality and under that same determination and innovative thinking they continued over the years to challenge the catering market. The origin of our success certainly comes from the passion with which we all carry forward the corporate vision and the constant desire to improve and do better. Another distinctive element lies in having transferred the knowledge of the gestures of those who knead the pasta into highly technological production plants, supported by expert cooking professionals, who together with the collaboration of biologists and production technicians, guarantee safety and constant quality in all the production lines.”
Surgital is in the process of formulating business development plans. Europe remains a key continent for Surgital where a large portion of foreign turnover develops, which today accounts for about 47% of the total. The main objectives for the near future will certainly be that of France and the United States, representatives say. “Two countries with enormous development potential in which we believe so much that we have opened two commercial branches. We will certainly aim to work and insist on the Premium line of Surgital Divine Creazioni, which offers great added value to the world of catering. Very interesting recipes and formats are in the works, but they are not yet ready to be revealed. For now, we are focusing on promoting the new truffle sauce from the I Prestigiosi line by Sugosi, launched during the last edition of SIAL in Paris.”
Regarding the reopening of the foodservice sector, company reps say this has certainly marked an important restart for the frozen pasta market. “Q1 of 2022 has certainly shown us the desire of all local businesses, to return to full capacity as soon as possible and make up for lost time. The current political tensions are certainly throwing various obstacles to achieving this goal, from the difficulty of recovering raw materials to the incredible level of inflation. The added value of the frozen product certainly put us in a more favorable position compared to fresh products, as the 24-month shelf life of many of our products allows the customer to work with greater serenity and better manage his investments in uncertain times like today.”
Net of the official financial statements which will be filed by June, and Surgital s.p.a – which together with Surgital France, Surgital America and Ca’ Pelletti Retail makes up the Surgital Group – is expected to close 2022 with an increase in revenues of approximately 33% compared to the previous year, exceeding the set budget by 20%. Revenues for Surgital will amount to approximately EUR96m, while the aggregate value of the group will exceed EUR100m. The food service sector is still recovering from the COVID-19 pandemic, especially in terms of the availability of professionals working in the kitchen, but the number shows a clear motivation to come back to normality.
To read the entire article, please access your complimentary e-copy of Frozen Food Europe January-February, 2023 issue here.