Fra' Mani Handcrafted Foods

What Fra' Mani Handcrafted Foods does

Fra' Mani Handcrafted Foods is an artisan salumi and charcuterie producer founded by chef Paul Bertolli, former head chef at Chez Panisse. Operating from a single USDA-regulated production facility in Berkeley, California, the company manufactures dry-aged salamis, cooked salumi, cooked sausages, pancetta, and guanciale using traditional Italian methods including natural celery-powder nitrite curing, natural hog casings that host beneficial aging mold, hardwood smoking, and extended dry-aging of 28 to over 100 days depending on product. The portfolio spans roughly 30 SKUs, including whole cuts, pre-sliced 2.5 oz grab-and-go formats, and gift bundles, with humanely raised pork sourced from family farms operating under no-antibiotics, no-added-hormones, and vegetarian-feed standards.

The company sells through four channels: direct-to-consumer e-commerce via Shopify with next-day delivery and free shipping above $100; wholesale to specialty retailers and restaurants through traditional distribution partners; the Faire wholesale platform for under-served boutique and restaurant accounts; and exclusive prepared-foods distribution (including Brined & Seasoned Whole Turkeys) at Costco warehouse locations nationwide. Pricing is unit-based, ranging from $10 for pre-sliced salami to $125 for a 5 lb Soppressata, with a $70 Salami Trio gift pack positioned for the gifting occasion. Founder Paul Bertolli's pedigree, earned media in NY Times, Bloomberg, Bon Appetit, Food Network, and Time Magazine, and 2024 industry recognition including a SOFI Gold Award and Grand Honors Finalist (Soppressata) plus 5 medals at the World Charcuterie Awards (including Best in Class for Salame Toscano) form the core of the brand equity.

Customer segments include premium food enthusiasts and home cooks for personal consumption and entertaining, specialty retailers and restaurants seeking differentiated menu or shelf products, and Costco warehouse members purchasing prepared foods in larger formats. The business is organized as Fra' Mani, LLC, a privately held Delaware LLC with no disclosed institutional investment or parent company; ownership appears founder-controlled.

Name

Fra' Mani Handcrafted Foods

Legal name

Fra' Mani, LLC

Website

https://framani.com

Company type

Private

Founded year

2006

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

11–50 employees

Short description

Fra' Mani Handcrafted Foods is an artisan salumi and charcuterie producer founded by chef Paul Bertolli in Berkeley, California, selling dry-aged salamis, cooked salumi, sausages, pancetta, and guanciale through DTC e-commerce, wholesale, and exclusive prepared-foods placement at Costco.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Product category

Artisan Salumi and Charcuterie

NAICS

Food Manufacturing (311)

SIC

Sausages & Other Prepared Meat Products (2013), Miscellaneous Food Preparations & Kindred Products (2090)

akta.pro primary industry

Fermented & Air-Dried Charcuterie (Salami, Pepperoni, Prosciutto-Style) (AFANAEAE)

akta.pro secondary industries

Cured Meats (Dry-Cured, Wet-Cured, Hams, Bacon) (AFANAEAA), Hot Dogs, Frankfurters & Bologna (Emulsified/Comminuted Meats) (AFANAEAG)

Keywords

• Artisan salumi
• Dry-aged salami
• Cured meats
• Charcuterie products
• Italian cooked sausages

Headquarters

HQ city

Berkeley

HQ country

United States

HQ region

North America

Offices1 record

Markets served

GTM type

B2C

Offering type

Hardware or Manufacturing

Cost components

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

Revenue model

1. Direct E-commerce Sales: One-time product sales through company Shopify website with next-day delivery shipping. Products include dry-aged salamis, cooked salumi, sausages, hams, and specialty items. Free shipping on orders over $100.
2. Wholesale Distribution: Wholesale sales to retailers, specialty food shops, boutiques, and restaurants through Faire platform and traditional distribution partners.
3. Warehouse Club Sales: Prepared foods sold exclusively at Costco warehouse locations.

Pricing tiers

Go-to-market motion2 records

Distribution channels4 records

Marketing channels5 records

Core offering

Fra' Mani Handcrafted Foods is an artisan salumi and charcuterie manufacturer that crafts Italian-style dry-aged salamis, cooked sausages, cooked salumi (including mortadella, hams, capicollo, and turkey galantine), pancetta, and guanciale using traditional Italian curing methods such as natural celery-powder curing, hardwood smoking, slow roasting, and extended dry-aging of 28 to 90+ days. Founded by chef Paul Bertolli (former head of the kitchen at Chez Panisse), the company sources humanely raised pork with no antibiotics or added hormones from family farms, and sells its products direct-to-consumer, to specialty retailers and restaurants, and through Costco.

Product overview

Fra' Mani Handcrafted Foods is an artisanal charcuterie company specializing in handcrafted Italian-style salumi and cooked meats. Their product portfolio centers on dry-aged salamis (including Finocchiona, Calabrese, Salametto, Soppressata, Nostrano, Toscano, Genoa, and Gentile), cooked sausages (Classic Italian, Spicy Italian, Sweet Basil, Salt & Pepper, Andouille, and Mattinata varieties), cooked salumi (Mortadella, Rosemary Ham, Sweet Apple Ham, Smoked Ham, Spicy Capicollo, Salame Rosa, and Turkey Galantine), pancetta products (regular and smoked), and guanciale. They emphasize traditional Italian curing methods, natural ingredients without antibiotics or added hormones, and extended aging processes ranging from 28 to 90 days. Products are available in various formats including whole cuts, pre-sliced options, and gift bundles.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Products and services

• Finocchiona Dry-Aged Salami (6 oz)

Quantifiable outcome

• Products dry-aged for 40-100+ days depending on variety
• +1 more outcomes

Named customers7 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

Feature4 records

Partnerships

Three partnerships are on record, tiered notable and core.

• Joe SastonotableStrategic or Co-development PartnerChef collaboration creating exclusive products like Black Garlic & Chiles Guanciale. Joint recipe development including Amatriciana pasta and radicchio & arugula salad with guanciale vinaigrette. Featured on website and product listings.
• CostcocoreChannel Partner/ Reseller/ DistributorExclusive warehouse retail distribution for prepared foods including Brined & Seasoned Whole Turkeys. Products sold at Costco locations nationwide.
• FairecoreChannel Partner/ Reseller/ DistributorWholesale platform partner for B2B sales to retailers, specialty food shops, boutiques, and restaurants. Enables easy wholesale ordering and account management.

Scale indicators3 records

Recent moves5 records

Expansion highlights5 records

Direct peers

• Creminelli Fine Meats: Creminelli is an artisan salumi maker based in Utah producing handcrafted Italian-style salamis, coppa, and pancetta. Closely comparable to Fra' Mani in artisanal production methods, product range, DTC + specialty retail GTM, and founder-led brand positioning.
• Olli Salumeria: Olli Salumeria produces slow-cured Italian-style salami using heritage methods. Highly comparable product portfolio (salami, cured meats), premium positioning, specialty retail and DTC distribution, and similar artisanal sourcing story.
• Columbus Craft Meats: Columbus is one of the most recognized premium salami and charcuterie brands in the U.S., offering dry-cured salamis, Italian deli meats, and craft meats through grocery retail. Directly comparable to Fra' Mani in product category (Italian-style salumi), distribution channels, and target customer.
• La Quercia (Norwalk Cured): La Quercia produces humanely raised, antibiotic-free Italian-style cured meats including prosciutto, salami, and pancetta. Strong direct peer given overlapping product category, clean-label sourcing philosophy, and specialty/fine-food retail distribution.
• Salumi Artisan Cured Meats: Salumi Artisan (Seattle-based) produces small-batch dry-cured salami and charcuterie using Italian traditions. Comparable in artisanal production, restaurant/specialty retail distribution, and chef-driven brand story to Fra' Mani.

Broad incumbents

• Boar's Head: Boar's Head is a major established deli meat and cheese producer with broad national distribution in U.S. grocery and deli counters. Comparable in salumi and cooked meat category but at vastly larger scale and with much broader product portfolio.
• Applegate Farms: Applegate is a much larger natural and organic meat brand owned by Hormel, offering deli meats, sausages, and bacon with clean-label positioning. Comparable to Fra' Mani in clean-label, humanely raised positioning but operates at national scale across many meat categories.
• Hormel Foods: Hormel is a major diversified meat and food manufacturer with extensive charcuterie and deli meat presence (including Columbus and Applegate). Comparable broadly in cured meats category but operates as a Fortune 500 incumbent versus Fra' Mani's artisanal positioning.
• Citterio: Citterio is an Italian heritage salami and charcuterie producer with national U.S. distribution through grocery deli counters. Comparable in Italian-style salami category but at significantly larger scale and broader product range than Fra' Mani.

Emerging players

• True Story Foods: True Story Foods is a clean-label, humanely raised meat brand (salami, sausages, deli meats) targeting premium natural channels. Comparable in ethical-sourcing positioning, salami category focus, and natural/specialty retail distribution.

Market position

Strengths5 records

Weaknesses5 records

Competitive moat4 records

Key risks5 records

Key highlights7 records

Customer concentration

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Profiles1 record

Funding overview

Funding rounds1 record

Investors1 record

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 Fra' Mani Handcrafted Foods