Like all great stories, this isn’t an ending – it’s a beginning to soulful memories created by you and yours. Because all meals make memories. So, what memory will you make next?
Crafted From Generations of Excellence
It Began with a Necklace
The dream of creating delicious, high-craft pasta using artisan techniques and the best available ingredients began with Giulia Buitoni’s treasured family necklace, which she traded for a pasta maker. This seemingly simple act ignited a search for the highest-quality Italian flour in 600 kilometers. It reportedly took 40 days, 12 wagons, 24 horses and at least one narrow escape from opportunistic bandits for those materials to make it back to her. But it was worth every pearl.
The Rise of Artisan Greatness
By the mid-19th century, all Buitoni products were made with this amazing wheat from Puglia, which created such a superior product that demand and expansion opportunities outweighed any production costs. Beyond just creating one of the first-ever branded products in Italy, improved processes, upgraded machines and the act of building a factory allowed the family to carry this success into a product so revered, it was ready for royalty.
A Pasta Fit for a King
Beloved by people from all walks of life, Buitoni’s focus on quality and craft – along with their model for creating prosperity and modernization – even earned the attention of the king of Italy. When the factory unexpectedly burned down in 1905, not only did the majority of the town gladly help rebuild it and come to help support those without work in the interim, but the King himself donated 1,500 lire to the workers of the small town.
Awarded for Excellence
By the turn of the 20th century, Buitoni’s pasta was no longer just a beloved local staple – it was being celebrated on the world stage. In just a few decades, Buitoni – the first pasta brand to receive global recognition – received major awards at international expositions from Chicago to Paris. And in 1901, the brand was honored with the Italian Labour Merit Medal, a testament to both its culinary excellence and its contribution to Italian industry. These distinctions weren’t mere decorations – they marked Buitoni as a leader in artisan pasta-making, prized by families and food lovers alike.
First New York, then the World
In 1939, Giovanni Buitoni moved to America and shortly after opened his first store. And with that, the dream of delicious, artisanal pasta landed in New York City. Now a global phenomenon, Buitoni spent the next 80+ years focused on growing and perfecting the art of Italian pasta, much like his ancestors all those years ago.
A Legacy Built on Tuscan Craftsmanship
What started as a way to bring people together, through crafted pasta created with an artisan eye and a whole lot of care, is carried on in everything we do today. That’s why we’ve returned to our roots, and why you’ll once again find 00 flour imported from Italy, farm fresh eggs and a whole lot of love in every bite.