CASE STUDY
Unlocking growth in SEA for a $4.9B global pasta market leader
Client Background
Barilla
Barilla is an Italian family-owned food company with a strong presence across 100 countries. They are a world leader in pasta - and a leader for ready-made sauces in Europe, bakery products in Italy, and crispbreads in Scandinavia.
The client was Barilla APAC.
Challenge/Opportunity
Breaking into rice-first markets with low pasta penetration
Pasta penetration in Asia has been growing. Being the leader in Europe and North America, Barilla is poised to take the pole position in Asia as well. These are rice-first markets with relatively lower pasta penetration and fragmented distribution networks. Intense competition from local and imported pasta brands exerts pressure on pricing and profit margins, making brand differentiation crucial where convenience and local flavors reign supreme.
Expert
Kelvin Ng
Kelvin is a seasoned commercial executive with over 25 years of experience in ESG, sustainability, and brand building across global markets. Passionate about plant-based innovation, he currently serves as the Executive Vice President at Float Foods, driving growth strategies and forging strategic partnerships. Previously, as Director of ASEAN at Green Monday, Kelvin led three business units to success, establishing Omni Foods as a leading Asian plant-based brand in both retail and food service sectors. With a focus on profit and loss leadership and team management, he has consistently delivered outstanding results in the agri-food industry.
Solution
Resetting key levers: Portfolio, RTM, Distribution
Kelvin's solution to Barilla APAC's challenge involved 4 stages:
Stage 1: Portfolio Assessment & Optimization
- Assessed core range for regional format & compliance
- Flagged adaptation needs for product–market fit
Stage 2: Route-to-Market & Channel Strategy
- Designed dual-track GTM across retail and foodservice
- Identified synergies for omni-channel brand storytelling
Stage 3: Distributor Engagement & Sales Enablement
- Shortlisted high-potential partners
- Aligned pricing, trade terms, and incentives to drive penetration
Stage 4: Localization & Manufacturing Feasibility
- Scoped co-manufacturing options to cut lead times
- Mapped NPD opportunities to unlock long-term growth
Result
Expanded category relevance and strong distribution
- Expanded pasta and sauce category relevance in low-penetration markets
- Strengthened distributor partnerships and RTM execution across foodservice and retail
- Enabled faster activation via tailored GTM plans and streamlined compliance support
- Positioned Barilla to scale localized innovation and explore co-manufacturing for future resilience
What stood out most was the shift in mindset, the change in attitude, and the new ways of working that the GourmetPro expert brought to our team. Their hands-on, people-focused approach is where I see the biggest value of working with them. The expert was on the ground, mentoring not just our commercial team but even engaging with members of our leadership team across departments. His ability to make things concrete, to show not just what needs to be done but how to do it, made a real impact.
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President, Asia Pacific