HAYWARD, Calif. — Dishing out another Italian favorite, artisan salame maker Columbus Foods is launching fresh pizza topped with premium specialty meats and cheeses. Breaking into a new category, the San Francisco-based brand is filling a need for an all-natural ready-to-bake pizza, offering three flavorful varieties.
“We’re a company with a rich Italian heritage and a 98-year reputation for producing the highest-quality premium salumi and deli meats; pizza is a natural fit for the brand,” said Tim Fallon, Columbus’ CEO. “Like all of our products, our fresh, all-natural ready-to-bake pizzas are handcrafted with authentic ingredients. With few options like it currently on shelves, we’re glad to be giving shoppers a new, better-for-you alternative.”
Made with RBST-free cheeses, vine-ripened California tomatoes, and uncured meats, the Pizza Naturale line adheres to the brand’s commitment to three pillars of simple Italian cooking: using only the highest-quality ingredients, taking extra time to hand-craft and slow-cook, and keeping recipes wholesome with no fillers or additives.
The new 12-inch pizzas are offered in three fresh varieties:
- Four Cheese Pizza – A rich tomato sauce serves as the base atop a flavorful crust, topped off with a delicious blend of mozzarella, provolone, Parmesan and Romano cheeses.
- Uncured Pepperoni Pizza – A classic! This pizza starts with an artisan crust layered with rich tomato sauce, a blend of mozzarella, provolone, Parmesan and Romano cheeses and is topped with ample, all-natural uncured pepperoni.
- Uncured Piccante Salame & Sausage Pizza – Atop the same rich blend of tomato sauce and four cheeses are hearty Italian sausage and Columbus’ uncured Piccante salame for rich, meaty bites in every slice.
Starting this month, Columbus’ Pizza Naturale will be available at select H-E-B and Super Target stores for an SRP of $7.99 – $9.99. Bake for 10-12 minutes at 400 degrees and dinner is ready.
About Columbus Foods
Founded by Italian immigrants in 1917, Columbus Foods is a venerable San Francisco Bay Area institution bringing its passion for food and commitment to authentic Italian culinary traditions to life. Old World family recipes inspire the most extensive hand-crafted collection of Italian-style dry-cured salame and a rich assortment of premium deli meats that are marketed under the Columbus brand. Its products are available at specialty food stores and supermarkets nationwide. For more information, visit www.columbussalame.com. Columbus Foods is a portfolio company of Arbor Investments.
About Arbor Investments
Founded in 1999 and headquartered in Chicago, IL, Arbor Investments is a specialized private equity firm that focuses exclusively on acquiring premier companies in the food and beverage industry. The firm has acquired or invested in over 30 food and beverage companies in North America and currently has $700 million of assets under management across three funds.
Source: Columbus Foods
