Why Italian Food Brands Keep Winning in the UK
When the first lockdown hit in 2020, dried pasta, tinned tomatoes and blocks of Parmigiano Reggiano were among the first products to vanish from UK supermarket shelves, faster even than […]
Jellybean is a specialist UK food and drink marketing agency helping Italian brands launch, enter and grow in the UK market. We turn authentic culinary provenance into British commercial success—delivering high-energy shopper marketing, unforgettable experiential events, influencer content, and industry-leading PR.
Bridging Italian Culinary Heritage & British Consumer Culture
British consumers have an insatiable appetite for authentic Italian food and drink – from regional pasta sauces and artisan olive oils to premium tinned seafood and barista espresso. However, winning and sustaining shelf presence in the UK requires more than heritage; it requires active demand generation.
As a specialist Italian food marketing agency, Jellybean understands both sides of the equation: respecting the integrity of Italian culinary tradition while creating the commercial pull-through, shopper disruption, and viral social moments needed to thrive in the competitive UK retail and foodservice sectors.
Integrated Services for Italian Food &
Beverage Brands
shopper marketing & retail disruption
- In-store POS & off-location displays
- Retailer partnerships (Waitrose, Tesco, Sainsbury’s, M&S, Asda, Ocado)
- Packaging localization & aisle standout
- Driving rate-of-sale
experiential, events & live sampling
- High-energy consumer roadshows & food tours
- Pop-up restaurant collaborations & chef partnerships
- Immersive VIP dining experiences
- Trade exhibition stands (IFE, Speciality & Fine Food)
social media, content & influencers
- Localized UK TikTok & Instagram management
- In-house recipe development & culinary video production
- Authentic Italian & British foodie influencer campaigns
- Viral recipe storytelling driving store visits
trade & consumer
pr
- High-profile trade media (The Grocer, Food Manufacture)
- National consumer press & food magazine coverage
- New product launches & brand news
high-impact shopper marketing & retail activation
Securing shelf space in major UK grocers (Waitrose, Tesco, Sainsbury’s, M&S, Morrisons, Asda, Ocado) is only step one. We create shopper campaigns that capture attention in the aisle and accelerate rate of sale.
– Point-of-Sale (POS) creative, aisle fins, bay takeovers, and off-location displays
– Retailer-specific promotional partnerships (e.g. Waitrose activations)
– Packaging localization, on-pack promotions, and English messaging adaptation that preserves premium Italian cues
experiential marketing, events & live sampling
Food is sensory. The fastest way to win British hearts, chefs, and category buyers is through unforgettable tasting experiences.
– Nationwide consumer roadshows and interactive brand tours (e.g. The Mutti Pasta Tour)
– High-profile culinary collaborations and chef pop-ups (e.g. Mutti x Napoli on the Road)
– Immersive VIP dining experiences for food editors, top creators, and commercial buyers
– Stand design, live chef demonstrations, and sampling at major UK trade expos (IFE, Speciality & Fine Food Fair, Casual Dining Show)
social media management, content creation & influencer marketing
We translate Italian food passion into digital engagement that drives in-store purchase.
– Always-on social strategy, community management, and localized UK channels (Instagram & TikTok)
– In-house culinary content creation: recipe development, stop-motion, and highproduction video
– High-performing influencer campaigns: partnering with authentic Italian chefs, British foodies, and family creators to drive mass reach and everyday usage inspiration
food & drink PR that drives category authority
As an established Italian food PR agency, we ensure your brand leads the conversation across both industry trade media and national consumer publications.
– Target B2B trade press features across The Grocer, Food Manufacture, and Speciality Food Magazine
– Consumer lifestyle news, product launches, and seasonal recipe placements
– Trade PR establishing your UK leadership and commercial momentum
Trusted by Italy’s Most Respected Food Brands
jellybean’s delivery of the Immersive dining event was exceptional. They collaborated with us every step of the way to create an experience that truly honoured our brand heritage while feeling fresh and innovative. The evening was flawlessly executed and genuinely unforgettable - sparking the exact conversation and engagement we'd hoped for. It was a masterclass in bringing a brand story to life.
Mutti - Marketing Manager
Case Study Highlights
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Taking European & Global Food Brands
to the UK Market
While our deep experience with Italian staples is second to none, the marketing blueprint we’ve refined applies directly to European and International food & beverage brands seeking UK expansion.
Whether you are:
– Entering the UK for the first time: Launching a brand with strong domestic heritage that needs clear cultural translation, compliant packaging, and an immediate splash with British consumers.
– Reinvigorating an established UK presence: Overhauling your shopper marketing, modernizing your social strategy, or running high-impact experiential tours to re-engage younger shoppers and regain market share.
Our team has the proven playbooks across PR, creator partnerships, retail marketing, and experiential sampling to make your international brand a UK household name.
Why Food Brands Choose Jellybean
100% Dedicated to
Food & Drink.
Proven Track Record with
Market Leaders:
We have successfully scaled the largest names in Italian FMCG and fast-casual dining.
Seamless In-House Delivery:
From creating experiential tours and booking influencer chefs to designing shopper POS and running press offices—it’s all delivered under one roof.
Commercial Mindset:
We measure our success on your rate-of-sale, distribution gains, brand awareness, and bottom-line growth.
Frequently Asked Questions
Q: What does an Italian food and drink marketing agency do?
A: An Italian food and drink marketing agency helps brands from Italy and Italian inspired brands grow in the UK. At Jellybean, that covers shopper marketing, PR, social and influencer activity, creative, outdoor media and experiential. We tell your provenance story in a way that British shoppers, retailers and journalists respond to.
Q: How do you launch an Italian food brand in the UK?
A: We start with the UK shopper and the retail landscape, then build a launch plan that balances brand story with in-store trade. That usually means a retailer-ready
shopper marketing plan, press and influencer outreach, and sampling to win first trial. If you’re planning a UK launch, talk to us early.
Q: How can experiential marketing help Italian food brands build awareness in the UK?
A: Taste is the strongest persuader in food, so getting product into people’s hands drives trial faster than advertising alone. For Mutti, amongst many other things we
ran a pasta sauce tour across seven UK cities, and created an immersive dining experience at the Queen’s House in Greenwich that went on to win Best Campaign at the World Food Innovation Awards.
Q: Can you handle creative, media buying and PR in one place?
A: Yes. One integrated team means a single, consistent idea across every channel. For Coco di Mama’s Made to Be Craved campaign, we created the brand’s first outdoor media campaign, then handled the creative, the media buy, sampling and giveaways, and press activity. Fewer handovers mean faster delivery and tighter results.
Q: What results have you delivered for Italian food and drink brands?
A: We’ve supported Mutti’s growth into a leading UK tomato brand and helped Rio Mare build awareness and trial through influencer work and in-store sampling, including one of the most successful experiential events ever at Waitrose, Bluewater. We also created Coco di Mama’s first outdoor campaign. If you’d like to see how we’d approach your brand, get in touch for a no-obligation conversation.
Q: Why should we choose a specialist Italian food marketing agency?
A: A specialist Italian food marketing agency understands how to celebrate authentic culinary provenance, DOP/IGP traditions, and regional recipes while crafting campaigns that resonate with British shopping habits, UK retailer dynamics, and national media.
Q: How does Jellybean help drive in-store sales for Italian brands in UK supermarkets?
A: We build integrated shopper marketing campaigns combining eye-catching pointof- sale (POS) displays, retailer partnerships (e.g. Waitrose, Tesco, Sainsbury’s, Asda, Ocado, Morrisons, Aldi and Lidl), digital creator campaigns driving in-store purchase, and live experiential sampling.
Q: Can you manage social media and influencer campaigns specifically for the UK market?
A: Yes. We manage localized UK social channels, develop bespoke recipe content tailored to British home cooks, and partner with top UK chefs and food creators to drive brand awareness and trial.
Q: Do you work with European and international food brands outside of Italy?
A: Absolutely. While we have deep sector specialism in Italian food and drink, our experiential, shopper marketing, social, and PR capabilities are designed for any international food brand looking to launch or scale in the UK.
Planning to Launch or Grow an Italian Food & Drink Brand in the UK?
Whether you’re researching the UK market, appointing a distributor, preparing for your first retail listing or looking to accelerate an established UK business, talk to our food and drink specialists.
Step 1
Book a 30-minute discovery call with our food marketing strategists.
Step 2
We assess your UK market opportunity, retail presence, or launch roadmap.
Step 3
We deliver an integrated creative and commercial campaign.