Finest Flour for the Simple Pleasure of Pasta
According to scientists, the carbohydrates in pasta increase the production of serotonin. This is a neurotransmitter which is believed to heighten feelings of happiness. So from just three key base ingredients – flour, eggs and water – the simple pleasure of pasta provides a satisfying food like no other. And Mancini Pasta believes it does pasta better than their competitors.
Mancini Pasta was founded by Giuseppe and Adelina Mancini from their supermarket in Kelmscott, a southern suburb of Perth, Western Australia. They were pioneering World War II migrants from Lazio and Calabria in Italy and they soon developed an enviable reputation for fresh authentic taste with both the local immigrant and established communities.
Adelina has a clear vision about the way pasta should be made and enjoyed. Her legacy continues through her daughters, Julie and Camelia, who now run the family business with the same passion and exhilaration as their mother. Like most families, recipes are handed down from mother to daughter and at Mancini Pasta, this is no exception.
Camelia and Julie are supported by siblings John and Robert. Not only do they all adhere to their parent’s strict discipline of quality and authenticity, they remain inspired by their mum’s original Italian taste profile. Their father Giuseppe, universally known as Joe, is still active in maintaining quality and cementing relationships with retailers.
To align with this discipline of quality, Mancini Pasta chooses Manildra Group’s world-class Australian low-ash durum wheat flour.
It is the base of all Mancini’s varieties of classic, meat or vegetarian filled pastas that are prepared daily at the family business’ premises in Perth.
They enjoy a strong presence in the highly competitive retail and food service markets in Western Australia and South Australia, nevertheless they suggest they will only expand if their quality remains assured.
“Whilst we are ambitious for growth throughout Australia and air-freight fresh export, we are undertaking those plans in a disciplined process, essentially to ensure the continuance of the exceptional quality of all our products,” said Mancini Pasta Director, Julie Mancini. “It’s a family philosophy, that to chase volume at the expense of quality would lose us customers and ultimately damage our brand.”
Ms Julie Mancini continues, “We believe the future of Mancini is remaining single-minded in creating exceptional quality authentic Italian pastas.
We are not intending to move into sauces as we respect that most cooks and chefs want the finishes to be individualistically their own.”
In a recent re-branding of the Mancini Pasta range, images from the Adelina’s and Joe’s wedding day along with Italian language descriptions were combined within a contemporary reimagining of traditional Italian labels to appeal to modern consumption habits.
Mancini Pasta Director, Camelia Mancini comments, “Australia’s overall pasta market is shrinking, so it’s satisfying that the uptake of our authentic Italian pastas is continuing to grow. We advocate this is because many Australians of all origins now acknowledge the taste difference of quality pasta over the alternatives.”
And whilst Australians’ taste and consumption habits are often subject to so-called ‘food fashion’, Julie Mancini suggests the ease and speed of cooking good-quality pasta would always be an essential component of menu planning. However, Australian consumers and hospitality chefs also demand variety.
“So, at Mancini, not only can we satisfy those crucial points with over 50 traditional pasta varieties which are all firmly grounded on regional Italian recipes, we also can supply them fresh or frozen and in multiple pack sizes,” said Ms Julie Mancini.
“We believe that in the long-term, it is up to food providers like ourselves to innovate to help return pasta sales into growth numbers – not just by increasing product varieties to stimulate the market (and there are unlimited regional pasta recipes in Italy) but also in reduced cooking times, fresher-to-market logistics, longer shelf lives and of course, more effective promotion.”
Manildra Group National Sales Manager Murray Newman said the Mancini family’s uncompromised commitment to quality, authenticity and taste was shared by the two Australian family-owned businesses.
“And, personally, I take great pleasure in sharing their family tradition of sitting down to a good plate of premium, authentic Mancini Pasta,” added Mr Newman.