Contino Foods

What Contino Foods does

Contino Foods Limited is a family-owned UK private company that sells authentic Italian food products through a direct-to-consumer Shopify e-commerce storefront targeting UK consumers, with a secondary foodservice line for commercial kitchens. The catalog spans roughly twenty product categories — fresh pesto, olives, antipasti, olive oils and vinegars, Italian cheeses (D.O.P.), cured and fresh meats, pasta, sweets, pantry staples, vegan, truffle, coffee, seafood, pizza ingredients and gift hampers — combining its own Sapori D'Italia brand with curated third-party Italian producers such as Rustichella d'Abruzzo, Di Martino and Rigoni. The Sapori D'Italia range is anchored by a vertically integrated fresh pesto operation: the Contino family owns P.D.O. Genovese Basil fields in Liguria and operates a production facility built there in 2010 to guarantee farm-to-fork authenticity, while heritage olives and antipasti trace back to recipes founder Salvatore learned in Sicily from 1982 onward.

The business is run by the founding family across two generations — Salvatore and Tiziana established the UK presence in 1991 after relocating from Sicily, and their children Giuliana and Domenico launched the online shop in March 2020 in response to COVID-related foodservice closures. Commercial mechanics are deliberately simple: £25 minimum order, £6.99 standard delivery for orders under £50, free delivery at £50+, product price points roughly £1 to £62.50, no subscription or contract layer, and shipping is restricted to mainland UK (Scottish Highlands and Northern Ireland excluded from free shipping). Distribution is single-channel and single-geography — no physical retail, no marketplace listings, and no third-party logistics partners are disclosed.

Intellectual property is concentrated in six registered trademarks (Sapori D'Italia, Boscaiola, Capuliatu, Mistoliva, Pestoliva, VegaNoDuja) and a portfolio of P.D.O./P.G.I./I.G.P.-certified inputs (Genovese Basil, Balsamic Vinegar of Modena, Mozzarella di Bufala Campana, Parmigiano Reggiano, Gorgonzola, San Marzano DOP tomatoes). Marketing is entirely organic and content-led: the Shopify storefront, a Facebook page, an Instagram account, an email newsletter, and an affiliate program at continofoods.goaffpro.com. The company has not raised external capital, has no parent or institutional ownership, and discloses no revenue, headcount, or financial metrics.

Name

Contino Foods

Legal name

Contino Foods Limited

Website

https://continofoods.com

Company type

Private

Founded year

1991

Operating status

Operating

Short description

Contino Foods is a family-owned UK e-commerce retailer selling authentic Italian food products under its Sapori D'Italia brand to UK consumers and foodservice operators, with vertically integrated fresh pesto production from P.D.O. Genovese Basil fields in Liguria, Italy.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Product category

Italian Specialty Foods

NAICS

All Other Specialty Food Retailers (445298), Other Specialty Food Retailers (44529), Food Manufacturing (311)

SIC

Retail-Food Stores (5400), Food And Kindred Products (2000), Miscellaneous Food Preparations & Kindred Products (2090)

akta.pro primary industry

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

akta.pro secondary industries

Olive Oil, Vinegar & Condiment Specialty Stores (CRAHAGAJ), International & Ethnic Packaged Foods (CRADAAAG)

Keywords

• Italian specialty foods
• Online grocery retail
• Fresh pesto production
• Specialty food imports
• Italian food distribution

Headquarters

HQ city

London

HQ country

United Kingdom

HQ region

Europe

Offices2 records

Markets served

GTM type

B2B and B2C

Offering type

Hardware or Manufacturing

Cost components

Supply Chain, Operations, Marketing or Sales, Personnel, Technology or R&D, Infrastructure

Revenue model

1. Direct Product Sales: One-time transaction-based e-commerce sales of Italian food products to UK consumers. Products range from antipasti, olives, pesto, pasta, cheeses, meats, oils, vinegars, and dolci (sweets). The company sells both own-brand (Sapori D'Italia) and curated third-party Italian products.

Pricing tiers

Go-to-market motion1 record

Distribution channels1 record

Marketing channels5 records

Core offering

Contino Foods sells authentic Italian food products to UK consumers through a Shopify-powered online storefront under its own Sapori D'Italia brand (olives, antipasti, fresh pesto produced in Liguria, oils, vinegars) and curated third-party Italian brands (Rustichella d'Abruzzo, Di Martino, Rigoni). A separate Sapori D'Italia Foodservice Range supplies 1kg packs to restaurants, hotels, pubs and cafes, while a Grab & Go line provides convenience portions.

Product overview

Contino Foods operates an e-commerce platform selling authentic Italian food products, primarily through its own Sapori D'Italia sub-brand alongside curated third-party Italian brands. The product portfolio centers on Italian specialty foods including fresh pestos (made in Liguria with P.D.O. Genovese Basil), marinated olives and antipasti, Italian cheeses, cured meats, artisan pasta (Rustichella d'Abruzzo, Di Martino), and traditional sweets. The company positions itself as bringing Italian culinary tradition to UK homes, with products ranging from everyday pantry staples to premium specialty items. The Sapori D'Italia brand represents the company's heritage products dating back to 1982 Sicily origins, while the broader catalog includes national Italian brands for a comprehensive Italian food offering.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Brands

• Sapori D'Italia: The company's own brand of Italian food products including pesto, olives, antipasti, and oils, produced using traditional Sicilian family recipes and Ligurian basil.

Products and services

• Sapori D'Italia Own-Brand Range Own-brand range of Italian food products including fresh pesto (Pesto Ligure, Arrabbiato, di Rucola, Siciliano, vegan nut-free), marinated olives (Boscaiola, Mistoliva, Nocellara, Aglioliva, Kalamata), antipasti (artichokes, grilled vegetables, mushrooms, capers, mixed antipasto Primavera), extra virgin olive oils (including infused truffle oil), I.G.P. Balsamic Vinegar of Modena, and VegaNoDuja vegan spicy Nduja paste. Produced using traditional Sicilian family recipes and fresh pesto made with own-grown P.D.O. Genovese Basil in Liguria. Sold to UK consumers via the Contino Foods online storefront.
• Sapori D'Italia Foodservice Range Commercial pack offering of Sapori D'Italia products — fresh pesto, pate, olives and antipasti in 1kg packs sized for chefs and commercial kitchens. Targeted at restaurants, hotels, pubs and cafes needing consistent quality and authentic Italian flavours at scale.
• Sapori D'Italia Grab & Go Convenience-sized single-portion packs of Sapori D'Italia products designed for on-the-go consumption, offered alongside the standard consumer range on the online storefront.
• Sapori D'Italia Aceto Balsamico IGP di Modena (500ml) I.G.P. certified Balsamic Vinegar of Modena in 500ml format, made in Italy with 100% Italian ingredients including wine vinegar and concentrated grape must. Sold as a single SKU via the Contino Foods online storefront.
• Curated Third-Party Italian Brand Range Selection of national Italian specialty brands resold alongside Sapori D'Italia own-brand products, including Rustichella d'Abruzzo pasta (spaghetti, linguine, penne rigate, tagliatelle, lasagne, conchiglioni, calamarata, anelleti, tubetti rigati, egg pasta), Di Martino Dolce & Gabbana pasta (spaghetti, gnocchi sardi, busiata), Morelli pasta, Rigoni Organic jams and Nocciolata spreads, Astorino busiate, and Oropan Friselle di Altamura. Offered via the Contino Foods online storefront.
• Hampers & Gift Boxes Curated Italian food gift hampers and gift boxes assembled from the Sapori D'Italia and curated third-party ranges, targeting the consumer gifting use case.

Segments2 records

Ideal customer profiles2 records

Technology focussed No

API detail

Has API

No

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

Feature1 record

Scale indicators3 records

Recent moves8 records

Expansion highlights5 records

Direct peers

• Eataly: Global Italian specialty food marketplace with both physical stores and a robust online shop selling curated Italian pantry staples, fresh pesto, olive oils, cheeses, and cured meats. Closely comparable to Contino Foods in product mix, category curation, and DTC-plus-foodservice positioning.
• Pasta Evangelists: UK-based DTC brand delivering restaurant-quality fresh pasta and Italian meal kits direct to consumers. Shares Contino's London base, online-only model, focus on authentic Italian recipes, and DTC logistics infrastructure.
• Carluccio's: Long-standing UK Italian restaurant and deli chain with an Italian grocery offering. Direct competitor for UK consumers seeking authentic Italian pantry items and a comparable heritage brand in the UK Italian specialty food category.

Emerging players

• La Fromagerie: UK specialty cheese and Italian/European fine food retailer with online ordering. Comparable to Contino on curated Italian assortment, premium positioning, and online delivery for cheese and accompaniments.
• Daylesford: UK organic and specialty food DTC retailer with farm provenance. Comparable through its online shop, premium pricing model, farm-to-consumer storytelling, and curated specialty pantry assortment.

Broad incumbents

• Ocado: UK online grocery incumbent offering broad specialty and ethnic food ranges, including extensive Italian categories. Comparable as a competing online channel for Italian pantry staples with same-day or next-day delivery.
• Selfridges Food Hall: UK premium department store with a curated food hall featuring Italian specialty items and online ordering. Competes with Contino for premium Italian gift hampers and pantry purchases from UK consumers.
• Fortnum & Mason: Iconic UK food hall and online retailer with extensive Italian and continental pantry selection including hampers. Competes directly with Contino's Hampers & Gift Boxes category on premium gifting occasions.

Regional players

• Prezzo: UK Italian restaurant chain with growing retail/grocery offerings. Comparable through shared UK Italian food category focus, though primarily a foodservice operator rather than an online grocery retailer.

Others

• Borough Market: London's leading specialty food market with strong Italian artisan producer presence and online ordering from select traders. Comparable through curated Italian food retail and consumer overlap in the London specialty food shopper base.

Market position

Strengths5 records

Weaknesses5 records

Competitive moat3 records

Key risks5 records

Key highlights6 records

Customer concentration

• Facebookfacebook.com/CONTINOFOODS
• Instagraminstagram.com/continofoods
• LinkedInlinkedin.com/company/contino-foods

Compliance1 record

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Profiles4 records

Funding overview

Funding rounds

Investors

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 Contino Foods