Over 1 billion euro turnover growth for pickles and pickles

What would a Martini be without an olive? And a tramezzino orphaned of artichokes and spring onions or a tart without sun-dried tomatoes or sweet and sour peppers? In the classic and stainless Italian aperitif there are many more (preserved) vegetables than you think. And now it is time to make consumers aware of this. With this aim, the producers' association Unione Italiana Food has launched the campaign Fatti Sotto, dedicated to the promotion of vegetables in oil, pickle and brine. A healthy market that, in modern distribution, in 2024 reached 178,839 tonnes of sales for a revenue of one billion euros (+3.7% on 2023), with an increasingly wide and diversified on-shelf assortment. It is olives and pickles that dominate the scene, with sales volumes up 3.5% year-on-year, driven by artichokes, while among pickles, peppers and cucumbers are growing.

Convenient, tasty and versatile, preserved vegetables are habitually purchased by 72% of Italian families and lend themselves to many uses in the kitchen and consumption occasions. Starting with the aperitif, a ritual for two out of three Italians who indulge in it at least once a month (but the percentage rises to one out of two among younger people). And not necessarily away from home. A survey conducted by AstraRicerche reveals that 35% of aperitivo fans also organise it at home and this percentage rises to 40% among Millennials and families with children and young people.

Classic Italian style, with cured meats, cheeses, bruschetta, pickles and vegetables in oil: this is the most popular aperitif (83.5%), made appealing by the variety of proposals, which are also increasingly declined in healthy versions, as is happening throughout the food world. Over 90% of Italians consume vegetables in oil, pickle or brine during the aperitif and 29.4% believe that the aperitif would not be the same without them," explained Simona Mastrantuono, market researcher at AstraRicerche. There really is something for every taste and to satisfy everyone'.

Italians love pickles, pickles and pickled vegetables because they are tasty and delicious (44.1% of responses) even when served as an appetiser, as one consumer in two does. But also because they lend themselves easily to various combinations (36.7%) and create a contrast of flavours (35.1%), especially when they accompany cured meats and cheeses and breadsticks or taralli, when they are used to fill crostini and bruschettas or to enrich sandwiches and sandwiches.

The great interest in food pairing is reflected in the 28.5% of Italians who appreciate preserved vegetables because they believe they go well with the drinks consumed during an aperitif. And so 48.9% prefer to pair them with a glass of sparkling white wine, 32.3% with light beer and 31.3% with a non-alcoholic aperitif or cocktail. Among the favourite pairings, reveals AstraRicerche, the classic olive and Martini stands out (54.4% of responses), followed by dried tomatoes and goat cheese (43.1%) or gorgonzola (37.3%), and giardiniera to go with the ubiquitous Spritz (36.8%).