TV Italian chef Gennaro to launch Mutti UK tour
CELEBRITY Italian chef Gennaro Contaldo is to launch a Mutti Pasta Sauces tour to major British cities as part of the tomato brand’s £6million marketing investment in the UK this year.
Contaldo, a familiar face on UK telly cookery programmes, will headline the start of the Mutti Pasta Sauce Tour, a nationwide sampling campaign, at Battersea Power Station, London, with a live demo including making fresh pasta by hand this coming Saturday and Sunday (9 and 10 May).
The activity comes as Mutti’s Italian Pasta Sauce range passes £6.8million in UK retail sales value, having driven more than 25% of category value and 33% of category volume growth in the 52 weeks to March 2026, according to NIQ data.
Mutti says the brand’s pace of growth positions it as one of the standout contributors to category value growth within pasta sauces, outperforming the wider segment as shoppers trade up for authentic Italian provenance.
Building on Mutti’s first television campaign for its pasta sauce range in April, the sampling tour gives the brand its first opportunity to put the sauces directly into shoppers’ hands at scale.
It runs alongside an ongoing influencer programme targeting home-cooking audiences seeking restaurant-quality food at home, with further TV and in-store activity planned through 2026.
From 8 May, Mutti’s bespoke touring kitchen – a brand-new, fully-fitted branded van – will visit seven major UK cities, serving over 25,000 hot pasta portions tossed in Mutti Pasta Sauce with Basil and handing out nearly 100,000 sample jars for shoppers to take home.
The tour includes a visit to Castle Street, Edinburgh, between 10am and 6pm on 27 and 28 May. Consumers in Birmingham, Leeds, Manchester, Liverpool and Cardiff also able to enjoy the free activation during the course of the month.
Graham Phelan, marketing manager at Mutti UK, said: “This tour is all about bringing the authentic taste of Italy to communities right across the UK. Our pasta sauces are made with the best Italian tomatoes and more than 125 years of craftsmanship.
“This tour is our chance to share that passion face-to-face with shoppers and show them how Mutti can elevate everyday cooking, turning a quick midweek meal into restaurant-quality food at home.”
