ARTICLE / THE MAKING OF... SERIES
The making of...
Bippi.
When it comes to starting up any FMCG/CPG brand, authenticity is an important ingredient that can help your business go a million miles. In Australian/Italian food label Bippi’s case, Founder and CEO Ben Circosta has a brand story steeped in it. And, thanks to his Nonna Emilia, it’s a story and product range that’s taken the Delis and Supermarkets of Australia by storm. We were massive fans before this interview so, we’re stoked to share this, The making of… Bippi.
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The making of... Series
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#bippi #tastysauce #branding #nonnaknows #brand #fmcg #cpg #startup #scaleup #passion #founder #founderstory
Hey Ben, lovely to meet you. The team here in Melbourne have been raving about your Chilli sauce for a while now. So, first questions, where did that recipe come from and what’s Bippi’s story?
Growing up in country Victoria on a small farm in Mildura, I lived next door to my 'Nonni' /grandparents. All that separated our houses was a huge vegetable garden, a chicken pen and a woodfire oven. From an early age, I lived and breathed Italian homemade and homegrown food, understanding the value of fresh produce and eating what you grew.
After working in the corporate world and studying commerce, I decided founding and running a business that celebrates my love for Italian food through this connection was what I wanted to do.
During the COVID-19 lockdown, my mum bought a Mediterranean chilli product that reminded me of my Nonna Emilia’s homemade chilli. With plenty of time on my hands and with her help, I decided to recreate her recipe
Inspired by my Nonna Emilia's traditional recipes, I launched Bippi, aiming to marry authentic Italian flavours with fresh Australian produce. That’s how Bippi was born.
Founder and CEO Ben Circosta with Nonna Emilia
What a lovely story. You’ve landed on some brand gold as you can definitelly taste the authenticity in the sauce! Research wise, what did you do to arrive at what you've got now?
Once we established the recipe for the original Bippi product, our Italian Style Chilli, we wanted to understand the gap in the market for Italian condiments made locally with modern style branding that also targeted a younger audience, compared to the stock standard traditional condiments imported from Italy.
First batches? What were they like? How were they received?
Our first runs and product validation of the chilli was through conducting blind taste tests with family and friends. The feedback was overwhelmingly positive, which gave me confidence in the product’s potential. The initial product runs were made in my family kitchen. My main focus was to capture the authentic flavour and quality of Nonna Emilia’s recipe. Additionally, when our product launched into small delis and groceries around Melbourne and exceeded sales expectations, it confirmed that we had a product people wanted. We continued to make our Chilli for the first 2 years in our home kitchen. We even launched into Woolworths whilst cooking at home!
Bippi really did start life on the kitchen table! Launching into Woolworths was a big leap. Leading up to that, how did you initially fund everything?
I initially funded Bippi using personal savings and focused on reinvesting profits into the capital required for in-house manufacturing. I kept costs low by paying myself minimally and focused on bootstrapping the business to grow.
Yes, whilst scarey, bootstrapping in the early days certainly helps focus energies into what the business truly needs. Now, with your initial recipes sorted, how did you go about developing your branding?
I had previous marketing experience in corporate jobs at Telstra and Holden. There, I learnt a lot around brand identity, understanding the brands ‘why’ and then setting up the brand pillars for execution around this.
This is exactly what I did with Bippi, and was lucky enough to have a cousin of mine who was an artist & graphic designer help in the setup.
I wanted the brand visually to have a ‘Retro Italia’ feel with bold fonts and colours, matched with traditional aspects like the dots and swirls.
The idea was to celebrate the traditional but with a modern twist. We felt this is represented through our logo and labels.
I wanted most of the jar’s label to be transparent so customers could see how authentic and beautiful the product's are. Then the oversized word ‘Chilli’ on the jar became the customers first visual point.
The jars definitely do stand-out on the Deli shelf. Awareness wise, what have you been doing to get the word out? How are you attracting the foodies?
We continuously promote Bippi through social media plus market events and activations to drive tastings. To scale the brand, we secured placements in over 1,200 stores, including major retailers like Woolworths and Coles. Continuous product development and expanding our distribution are key to our growth strategy.
That is phenomenal growth. With that trajectory in mind, what's the biggest challenge/s you think you'll face in the immediate future?
As we grow, I anticipate challenges in maintaining product quality while scaling, managing supply chain, and competing with mass-produced brands. Balancing quality and cost will be essential as production volumes increase.
Ok, final question to round things off. Knowing what you know now, what words of wisdom would you give another founder who is on their own startup journey?
My advice to other founders would be to validate your product thoroughly through testing and feedback. Persistence is crucial, as is leveraging your passions and connections. Always prioritise high-quality standards and stay true to your brand’s core values to stand out in a competitive market.
