What Crosta & Mollica does

Crosta & Mollica is a UK-headquartered Italian food brand (Crosta & Mollica Ltd, registered at Floor 1, 1 Argyll Street, London) that designs and markets a portfolio of premium Italian food products under its own label, with all production contracted to Italian artisan manufacturers. Founded in 2009 by James Orr and private-equity backed by Perwyn since January 2024 (with David Milner appointed Chairman), the company sells a multi-category range spanning pizza (a sourdough-led core range of over 30 SKUs plus pinsa Romana, pizzetta, pizza bites, bases, and flatbreads), aperitivo snacks (tarallini, grissini, crostini), pasta, bakery (piadina, focaccia, biscotti, panettone), and dolci (tiramisù, gelato, tartufi). Underlying product technology centers on traditional artisan methods: Lievito Madre (Mother Dough) sourdough fermentation, wood-fired oven cooking on lava stone sourced from Mount Etna in Sicily, and hand-topping by Italian artisan makers, with the signature 'leopard-spotted' Neapolitan-style crust serving as the principal differentiator. Plant operations in Italy are supported by UK-based subsidiaries including Stonhouse Foods Ltd and C&M Italia S.r.l.

Revenue is generated through Consumer Packaged Goods (CPG) retail distribution, with products stocked in eight major UK supermarket chains (Tesco, Sainsbury's, Waitrose, Ocado, Morrisons, Co-op, Asda, Costco) plus Booths as a premium regional partner, alongside UK wholesale distributors (CLF, DWF, Cotswold Fayre, On the Rocks, Eden Farm, CN Foods) and independent retailers. Pizza products retail at approximately £6 per unit in the UK supermarket aisle. The company also operates localized e-commerce sites in Belgium, France, Germany, and the Netherlands under a 'Made in Italy' positioning banner, with overseas sales contributing roughly 20% of total revenue. Crosta & Mollica holds B-Corp certification (the first UK-based Italian food brand to achieve this status) and Living Wage Foundation accreditation, and is the official partner of EMERGENCY UK (having pledged £250,000 by end of 2025) and Venezia FC Femminile. Disclosed FY2025 (year to 30 June 2025) revenue was £67.6m with operating profit of £7.6m, and Premier Foods was reported in March 2026 to be exploring a £200m acquisition of the business.

Name

Crosta & Mollica

Legal name

Crosta & Mollica Ltd

Website

https://crostamollica.com

Company type

Private

Founded year

2009

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

11–50 employees

Short description

Crosta & Mollica is a UK-headquartered Italian food brand selling premium artisan pizzas, pasta, bakery, aperitivo snacks, and desserts (all produced in Italy) through major UK supermarket chains and wholesale distributors, plus continental European markets under a 'Made in Italy' positioning.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Product category

Packaged Italian Food (Pizza, Pasta, Bakery, Aperitivo Snacks, Desserts)

NAICS

Frozen Cakes, Pies, and Other Pastries Manufacturing (311813), Ice Cream and Frozen Dessert Manufacturing (311520), Cookie, Cracker, and Pasta Manufacturing (31182)

SIC

Bakery Products (2050), Food And Kindred Products (2000)

akta.pro primary industry

Mediterranean/Greek/Italian/Spanish Grocery Stores (CRAHAFAJ)

akta.pro secondary industry

Ice Cream & Gelato Shops (THAFAGAA)

Keywords

• Italian packaged food
• Sourdough pizza
• Pinsa romana
• Italian grocery products
• Premium pizza brand

Headquarters

HQ city

London

HQ country

United Kingdom

HQ region

Europe

Offices1 record

Markets served

GTM type

B2C

Offering type

Hardware or Manufacturing

Cost components

Supply Chain, Operations, Marketing or Sales, Personnel, Others

Revenue model

1. Consumer Packaged Goods (CPG) Retail: Crosta & Mollica generates revenue through the sale of packaged Italian food products (pizzas, pasta, bakery, aperitivo snacks, dolci) to consumers through retail grocery chains and independent retailers. Products are sold at approximately £6 in the pizza aisle. The company sells at retail through major UK supermarkets and has expanded distribution to continental Europe.

Pricing tiers

Go-to-market motion1 record

Distribution channels5 records

Marketing channels4 records

Core offering

Crosta & Mollica sells a portfolio of authentic Italian packaged food products manufactured in Italy, anchored by over 30 sourdough and Pinsa Romana pizza varieties (including full-size pizzas, pizzette, pizza bites, pizzelle dough bites, pizza bases, and pinsa breads). The range is extended with pasta (spaghetti, rigatoni, tagliatelle, fiorelli), bakery items (piadina, focaccia panini, pane pugliese, biscotti, mini panettone), aperitivo snacks (tarallini, grissini, crostini, torinesi, linguette, bolli), and dolci desserts (tiramisù, gelato, tartufi, crema cotta). Products are sold at approximately £6 in UK supermarket aisles via Tesco, Sainsbury's, Waitrose, Ocado, Morrisons, Co-op, Asda, and Costco.

Product overview

Crosta & Mollica is a UK-based Italian food brand offering a diversified portfolio of authentic Italian food products, all exclusively made in Italy. The product range centers on Pizza Italiana Moderna, featuring over 30 sourdough and pinsa pizza varieties (including full-size pizzas, pizzettas, pizza bites, pizzelle dough bites, pizza bases, and pinsa breads), complemented by Aperitivo Snacks (tarallini, grissini, crostini, torinesi, linguette, bolli), Pasta (spaghetti, rigatoni, tagliatelle, fiorelli), Bakery items (piadina flatbreads, focaccia panini, pane pugliese, biscotti, panettone), and Dolci desserts (tiramisù, gelato, tartufi, crema cotta). The signature product differentiation is their leopard-spotted sourdough crust, slow-proved using Lievito Madre (Mother Dough) and cooked in wood-fired ovens on Mount Etna lava stone.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Products and services

• Sourdough Pizza Range Leopardised and hand-topped sourdough pizzas made in Italy, with signature slow-proved dough cooked in wood-fired ovens on lava stone from Mount Etna. Over 30 varieties including Margherita, Stromboli, Fiorentina, Verdure, Capricciosa, Regina, Rustica, Formaggi, Bosco, and a Gluten Free Margherita line for coeliac consumers. Sold at approximately £6 in UK supermarket aisles.
• Pinsa Romana Roman-style pizzas with distinctive paddle-shaped bases made from a rice and wheat flour dough with higher water content than typical pizza, creating a cloud-like texture that is both light and crunchy. Varieties include Margherita Pinsa Romana and Salami Pinsa Romana.
• Pizzetta Smaller-format sourdough pizzas sold in 2-pack format. Varieties include Margherita Pizzetta, Stromboli Pizzetta, Vegana Pizzetta, Ortolana Pizzetta, Regina Pizzetta, and Salami Napoli Pizzetta.
• Pizza Base / Pizza Base Bianca Ready-to-top pizza bases including the original Sourdough Pizza Base with classic pizzeria pomodoro sauce, and the Pizza Base Bianca — an industry-first white pizza base topped with silky mozzarella sauce and cracked black pepper, available nationwide at Sainsbury's and Tesco.
• Pizza Bites (Vesuvio) Hand-shaped pizza bites filled with various toppings, shaped to resemble Mount Vesuvius. Varieties include Margherita Vesuvio Pizza Bites and Salami Vesuvio Pizza Bites.
• Pizzelle Dough Bites Delicately fried bites of slow-proved dough — a classic Neapolitan aperitivo accessory. Varieties include Tomato & Olive Pizzelle, Garlic & Chive Pizzelle, and Speck & Ricotta Pizzelle.
• Pinsa Bread Roman-style flatbreads. Varieties include Garlic & Rosemary Pinsa Bread.
• Flatbread (Garlic & Mozzarella) Wood-fired sourdough base topped with shaved mozzarella, rich cream sauce, roasted garlic, and fresh chives.
• Aperitivo Snacks Authentic Italian aperitivo snacks including Tarallini (Fennel Seed, Multigrain and Seeds), Grissini (Classic, Sesame & Seeds, Black Olive), Crostini (Oregano, Chilli), Torinesi (Classic, Parmesan and Poppy Seed), Linguette (Classic, Rosemary), Bolli Black Peppercorn, and Classic Torinesi.
• Pasta Italian durum wheat pasta made with Alpes water. Varieties include Spaghetti, Rigatoni, Tagliatelle, and Fiorelli (campanelle-shaped).
• Bakery Italian bakery products including Piadina (Organic Wholeblend, Wholeblend Midi, Durum Wheat, Mini Durum Wheat, Emiliana), Focaccia Panini, Pane Pugliese, Biscotti (Almond Cantucci, Soft Amaretti, Chocolate & Hazelnut Baci), and Mini Panettone.
• Dolci (Desserts) Italian desserts including Tiramisù, Gelato (Mascarpone Stracciatella, Amarena Cherry and Mascarpone), Tartufi (Chocolate & Hazelnut, Caffè Latte, Pistachio & Almond), and Caramel Crema Cotta.

Quantifiable outcome

• 37.2% revenue growth to £67.6m in FY2025, with 80% increase in operating profit to £7.6m
• +2 more outcomes

Named customers9 records

Segments3 records

Ideal customer profiles3 records

Technology focussed No

API detail

Has API

No

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

Integration5 records

Feature3 records

Partnerships

Three partnerships are on record, tiered flagship, minor and core.

• EMERGENCY UKflagshipStrategic or Co-development PartnerCrosta & Mollica is the official partner of EMERGENCY UK, the British arm of the Italian charity that provides free, high-quality healthcare to victims of war, poverty and landmines. The company pledged to donate £250,000 to EMERGENCY by the end of 2025 and has successfully achieved this goal, with the partnership continuing beyond this milestone.
• Venezia FC FemminileminorGTM or Marketing PartnerCrosta & Mollica is the official partner of Venezia FC Femminile, the women's football club. The partnership includes 'Home VS Away' campaign content creation featuring team members, branded merchandise (headscarves, scarves), and social media content to drive brand awareness among Italian food and football enthusiasts.
• ClimatePartnercoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerClimatePartner has mapped Crosta & Mollica's most emission-intensive activities to help the company understand and reduce its carbon footprint across production and supply chain from Italy to consumers. This partnership supports the company's commitment to environmental sustainability and carbon reduction planning.

Scale indicators9 records

Recent moves6 records

Expansion highlights5 records

Broad incumbents

• Pizza Express: Iconic UK restaurant chain that also sells branded packaged pizzas in UK grocery retailers. Direct retail-pizza competitor to Crosta & Mollica, with a larger restaurant business providing brand halo and broader marketing firepower.
• Barilla: World's largest pasta company with broad UK grocery presence across pasta and pizza categories. Competes with Crosta & Mollica's pasta range (spaghetti, rigatoni, tagliatelle) and aperitivo snacks while operating at materially greater scale.
• Buitoni (Nestlé): Global Italian pasta and sauce brand within the Nestlé portfolio, available in UK and continental European grocery. Competes with Crosta & Mollica's pasta range and provides a global-scaled benchmark in Italian packaged food.
• Dr. Oetker Group: Major German food company and parent of UK market leaders Chicago Town and Ristorante. Dominant scale player in UK and European pizza aisle with broader bakery and dessert portfolio - the obvious scale benchmark Crosta & Mollica is positioned against.

Direct peers

• Chicago Town: UK's largest supermarket pizza brand (owned by Dr. Oetker). Direct frozen-pizza competitor listed in the same UK grocery retailers (Tesco, Sainsbury's, Asda) and competing head-on with Crosta & Mollica's sourdough pizza range on shelf.
• Ristorante: Dr. Oetker's premium frozen-pizza brand distributed across UK and European grocers; directly comparable in positioning, retail price point (~£6) and shelf placement to Crosta & Mollica's signature sourdough pizza SKUs.
• Merchant Gourmet: UK packaged specialty food brand (pulses, grains, pouches, sides) sold through Tesco, Sainsbury's, Waitrose and Ocado. Comparable as a UK-based premium specialty food brand with similar retailer relationships and consumer positioning, even if core product categories differ.
• Rana: Italian fresh-pasta and gnocchi brand listed in Tesco, Sainsbury's and Waitrose. Closely comparable as an Italian packaged-food brand targeting premium UK consumers with similar retailer relationships and Made-in-Italy heritage positioning.
• Sacla': Italian pesto, sauces and antipasti brand widely distributed across UK premium grocers. Comparable as an Italian packaged-food brand occupying similar premium shelf-space and targeting the same UK premium-Italian consumer segment.

Emerging players

• Deliciously Ella: UK premium plant-based CPG brand with B-Corp credentials and similar premium positioning targeted at the same UK supermarket shopper base. Comparable brand ethos, sustainability narrative and grocery-distribution playbook despite different product categories.

Market position

Strengths5 records

Weaknesses5 records

Competitive moat4 records

Key risks6 records

Key highlights7 records

Customer concentration

• Instagraminstagram.com/crostamollica
• Facebookfacebook.com/crostamollica

Compliance4 records

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Profiles2 records

Subsidiaries2 records

Funding overview

Funding rounds2 records

Investors2 records

Funding detail is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →

M&A

Investments

M&A and investment is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →

Frequently asked questions about Crosta & Mollica