Speciality Food Magazine June 2024

shapes, largely influenced by social media trends. “Fusilli lunghi stands out for its visual appearance,” she says. “We are seeing the same with orzo, which is also popular among influencers.” Sales of wholewheat pasta are also on the up, Sally adds. “Althoughwe have quite a variety of wholewheat pasta shapes, it is the traditional shapes showing the largest increase. There has been a lot of media coverage on gut health and the gut microbiome recently, withmore specific and greater attention given 12 to the benefits of wholegrains versus refined grains.” Once considered the ‘poor relation’ to classic pasta, Sally says wholewheat versions have come a long way, with significant advancements in production methods, which “allows for a finer grind of the wholewheat flour. This results in a smoother texture and reduced grittiness in the final product. Overall, these advancements have contributed tomakingmodern wholewheat pastamore palatable and appealing to a wider audience.” @specialityfood THE SECRETTOAWELL-STOCKED STORE CUPBOARD Pasta, rice and sauces are the bedrock of quick, easy, nutritious meals...and as Speciality Food discovers, consumers are looking for better quality, wholesome products across these categories T he store cupboard is the savvy, time-poor cook’s best friend. A culinary treasure chest to lean into for bowls of comfort, andmeals in a hurry when there’s not aminute to spare. Nudging up against the tins of beans, pulses and tomatoes, packets of stock, jars of spices and condiments there will almost always be pasta and rice. The reliable, filling backbones of thousands of dishes, from family- friendly oven bakes, to oozing, buttery risottos. As with any food, qualitymakes a huge difference, and consumers are thinkingmore andmore about where these essentials come from, and how theymight benefit their health. They’re also, retailers say, becoming more attuned to the environmental credentials of what goes into their basket. What’s trending right now? As the cost of living continues to put a squeeze on households, creating restaurant quality dishes at home has almost become the norm, with eating out reserved for special occasions. Bruno Zuccola of Valentina Deli says this has been one of themost enduring trends in the pasta and rice categories since the pandemic. “People come into Valentina Deli and buy a quality artisan pasta and delicious organic sauce for under £10, whichwill easily feed a family of four, and almost certainly with leftovers too,” he explains. “When you compare this to your average restaurant meal, where it costs aminimumof £12 for one average plate, of course people aremoving special occasionmeals into their own homes in order to save money.” Tomeet the needs of these shoppers, Bruno says retailersmust look beyond the average, mass market pasta, rice and sauce varieties, offering something special, and authentic, to help customers put a slice of Italy on the table. In pasta, the Valentina Deli team has noticed a shift in the popularity of certain shapes recently, with short varieties definitely leading the charge. “Rigatoni, penne and fusilli have particularly surged in popularity,” Bruno adds, saying themove towards these varieties is occurring, he thinks, because of the versatility of these varieties. “These shapes offer excellent sauce-holding capabilities, while also being adaptable to a wide range of recipes, from traditional Italian dishes, to creative fusion cuisine. Additionally, short pastas tend to appeal to a broader audience, including families with children, who may find themmoremanageable to eat.” Sally Assinder of Garofalo, says spaghetti, penne and fusilli continue to appeal, but adds the brand is seeing increased demand for speciality pasta SALLY ASSINDER GAROFALO GIANFRANCO PERRI JUST GOURMET FOODS SOPHIE ZIEGLER-JONES SUMA AL OVERTON IBIS RICE COMMENTATORS BRUNO ZOCCOLA VALENTINA DELI There has been a lot ofmedia coverage on gut health and the gutmicrobiome recently, withmore specific and greater attention given to the benefits of wholegrains versus refined grains SALLY ASSINDER, GAROFALO