Flour, eggs…and a pinch of creativity

This article is available for reading in Trade magazin 2025/6-7.

Stagnating prices and stabilising pasta sales – 2024 was like this, according to market players, but they add that this price level can’t be maintained this year, as last year the wheat harvest wasn’t particularly good and the price of high-quality wheat started to increase significantly at the end of autumn.

Long-term factors

Gábor Bokros
marketing director
Gyermelyi

“Consumers are shopping more cautiously and the contents of their shopping baskets are shrinking. Nevertheless, the Gyermelyi brand has performed better than private label products: our brand growth has exceeded the market average by far”,

says Gábor Bokros, marketing director of Gyermelyi Zrt.

Csaba Mándy Jr
owner-managing director
Mary-Ker Pasta

More and more shoppers are looking for higher quality, more nutritious products, such as durum wheat pasta or egg alternatives, says Csaba Mándy Jr, owner and managing director of Mary-ker Pasta Kft.

“In addition to health consciousness, there is also a focus on sustainability, as more people are interested in products in environmentally friendly packaging”,

he adds.

Pasta sales stabilised last year, but there could be another price rise this year

They look at the price – and other things too

Róbert Rácz
sales and
marketing director
Izsáki Házitészta

In Izsák they think the most intense trend at the moment is that consumers are open to cheaper products.

“First-price products and private labels are gaining ground against branded pastas. Consumption has shifted in the direction of smaller formats and products with lower egg content”,

says Róbert Rácz, sales and marketing director of Izsáki Házitészta Kft. Consumers’ buying decisions are increasingly determined by complex factors

Tamás Bozó
sales manager
GOF Hungary

“This phenomenon isn’t only about increased price-sensitivity, but also about consumers consciously searching for solutions that offer them important parameters (e.g. gluten-free, quick preparation, vegan options) within a given budget”,

underlines Tamás Bozó, sales manager of GOF Hungary Kft.

Traditional Hungarian, youthful Italian

Brigitta Soós
sales and
quality assurance manager
Soós Tészta

Brigitta Soós, sales and quality assurance manager of Soós Tészta Kft. believes that this year will also be full of challenges. Because of the wheat situation, the first difficulty will be sourcing flour of the right quality and quantity.

“We have been working with our supplier partner for several decades, so we can consider ourselves lucky that we “only” have to worry about prices”,

she explains.

In her opinion the market remains rather conservative when it comes to pasta, so the company is still committed to making products that form the basis of traditional Hungarian cuisine. At the same time quick and simple Italian-style recipes are becoming popular among younger consumers, so satisfying their needs is also important.

The most striking change in consumer preferences is the growing interest in healthier choices

Niche products growing on strong foundations

Gyermelyi Zrt. continues to realise the majority of sales from its traditional premium Gyermelyi pasta made with fresh eggs. Sales of the Vita Pasta durum product range have also strengthened, while sales of low-egg or egg-free pasta have declined. Although they are only niche products, the company has been able to increase sales of its wholemeal Integrale durum pasta, which is increasingly popular internationally. They rolled out a new product range last fall: Gyermelyi Express pasta is unique because it can be prepared in just 3 minutes.

Sustainability and artisan type products

Mary-ker Pasta Kft. continues to develop its premium pastas and pays special attention to meeting the demand for health-conscious and sustainable products. In their innovation work one of our most important goals is sustainability, and they make sure that sales results are achieved not by shrinkflation, but via real steps taken to curb the company’s environmental impact. Environmentally friendly packaging, using raw materials from controlled sources and recycled materials, plus energy-efficient manufacturing processes have been given a key role. They also emphasise the artisanal nature of premium products and plan to launch specially shaped pastas that improve the eating experience.

Due to the relatively conservative taste of consumers, traditional Hungarian formats are the mainstays of the range

For premium brands, competition is intensifying, making it increasingly important to communicate the differences between brands