In a testament to its commitment to continuous improvement and international growth, Mutti Group is proud to announce the UK as its sixth subsidiary, effective from January 2024. Since launching into the UK market in 2020, Mutti has experienced remarkable success, especially in the last year achieving an impressive 52% year-over- year growth, capturing an impressive value share of nearly 8%, with forecasted sales of €20m in 2023. In the last year alone, Mutti has contributed an additional £6 million in category sales making it a significant driver of growth and reinvigoration of the £229 million ambient tomatoes category.
Mutti’s presence in the UK has expanded rapidly across major UK retailers, including Waitrose, Sainsbury’s, Asda, Morrisons, Tesco, Ocado, Booths as well as through wholesale and foodservice channels. Notably, its essentials: Polpa, Puree, Passata, and Peeled product lines have demonstrated substantial growth rates in retail, showcasing the brand’s widespread appeal and demand with consumers.
At the helm of Mutti UK will be newly appointed managing dDirector, Dhiresh Hirani. Hirani, who has served as Mutti country manager, UK, has demonstrated exceptional leadership and strategic acumen, propelling Mutti’s standing in the UK market. Reporting directly to Farid Tisselli, international sales director, Hirani will oversee operations in both the UK and Ireland.
Francesco Mutti, CEO of Mutti, expressed his enthusiasm for this strategic move, stating, “This new chapter reflects our confidence in the British market and our determination to continue international growth. We are excited, wishing everyone success in the new challenges that lie ahead.”
Hirani shared his perspective on Mutti’s UK growth strategy, stating: “The next phase of growing Mutti in the UK involves our ambition to be the number one brand across all the categories we play in. We aim to premiumise the category, focusing on education, inspiration, and trading shoppers up. We want to continue to educate consumers about our quality tomatoes and our values to bring excitement and further reinvigorate a category that has historically been perceived as dull and boring. Working closely with our customers we will be elevating the overall shopper and consumer experience and in doing so drive category sales growth.”
Joining Hirani in the UK team are three key appointments:
Ian Hossack – head of retail UK: A seasoned sales leader with a diverse background, Ian will drive Mutti’s retail strategy, leveraging his expertise gained from prominent roles at Unilever, Kettle, Nomad Foods, Tesco, and most recently Saputo Dairy UK where he was head of sales growth Channels.
Claire Thomas – head of category & insight UK: A passionate category and insights leader, Claire brings extensive FMCG experience, contributing insights-driven category vision and strategy from her previous roles at Kerry Foods and most recently as head of category management at Quorn.
Graham Phelan – marketing manager, Mutti UK: will spearhead brand marketing in the UK. Graham has previously held marketing roles at Pladis and most recently Haleon as a senior brand manager.
Mutti is pleased to retain its partnership with RH Amar as logistics and administration partners, ensuring seamless operations in key markets of grocery, wholesale and foodservice.
Hirani further emphasised: “With our fantastic team in place, we’re entering the next exciting phase of our journey and growth in the UK & Ireland; it’s about building the brand and getting even closer to our customers and consumers. We aim to build on the great success we have had to date and bring even bigger and better inspiration and premiumisation to the forefront, working collaboratively to elevate the category and maintain our momentum towards becoming the number one branded supplier across our key product categories in the UK.”
