It was 1994 when the first one appeared on the shelves pesto Barilla. From there the basil condiment produced by the Parma multinational has come a long way: 30 years have passed and the success of the product is recognizable on a global level. I am 290 million the jars produced in 2023: to give an idea of ​​the enormity of the number, they could cover the surface of 130 football fields. This is why the Barilla family has decided to celebrate this milestone with a maxi mural of 800m2 created by the illustrator Marianna Tomaselli inaugurated at the Sughi Factory in Rubbiano, Parma.

A hymn to quality raw materials

The celebration with a mural that pays homage to pesto is not accidental. Great attention is paid to pesto and all the raw materials used to produce it, so much so that Barilla has established a Basil card, a specification for sustainable cultivation. Did you know that in the Rubbiano plant the basil is processed freshly picked? Basil, in particular, is generally cut in the morning to keep its organoleptic characteristics intact (when it is about 30cm high so that the richest part of the aroma can be grasped) and, once brought to the factory, it undergoes more than 100 checks a day, being cold processed to keep all its freshness and aroma intact. As per tradition, the sauces are brought to a temperature between 92 and 95 degrees and poured into jars, which are subjected to heat treatment before being filled. In this way we guarantee a 100% safe product, ready to enter our pantries. And did you also know that the origin is entirely Italian? Barilla in fact it boasts one deep integration with local farmers: there are 37 suppliers who collaborate with Barilla in the basil supply chain.

“Our basil is a ‘green gold’, the beating heart of what we do. Taking care of the basil supply chain means guaranteeing the quality of our products and production method” explains Matteo Gori, President of the Barilla sauce category. “The result is Barilla Pesto recipes, capable of combining intensity and delicacy and making your eyes widen with happiness every time they are brought to the table, thanks to a taste that everyone really likes. So the sustainability of the supply chain and the delicacy of the flavor are associated with creativity in the use of new ingredients, the surprise for the mix of flavors and the love for pesto – and in particular for Barilla Pesto – in Italy and in Worldwide”.

Pesto: a growing market

The pesto market is growing, with Barilla in a leadership position: in the first 6 months of 2023 the sector marked +20% compared to 2022 and +6% in volumes. In this context, Barilla confirms its position as world leader in the Pesto category with a 37.8% share in global value, continuing to grow in its main markets: Italy, Germany, France. In Italy, Barilla recorded, in particular, a +31% in sales by value, increasing its market share by value (+2.6%). Positive trend also recorded in France, where the Parma company is the category leader and driving market growth. Here, in 2023, it reached +25% in value sales and a value market share of +0.8% compared to the first half of 2022. The picture is also recovering in Germany where, after an initial downward phase in the first months of 2023, there was a trend reversal with an increase in June 2023 of +31% in value sales and +1.7% in value market share.

“Today we celebrate a beautiful stage in a long journey, which began 30 years ago, accelerated starting in 2012 with the birth of this plant which marks a great result in the five-fold increase in sales from 2011 to 2024. The factors behind these results are: The entrepreneurial courage, to create something that didn’t exist before. A unique and inimitable Pesto recipe, a 100% Italian basil supply chain from sustainable agriculture. Quality and strong network of suppliers and customers”he adds Matteo Gori, President of the Barilla sauce category.