Ferrero, the Italian food company coveted for its cocoa products, and Barilla, the Italian food purveyor prized for its pastas, are locked in a bitter competition to create Italy’s favorite hazelnut-flavored cookie.
After Ferrero introduced Nutella in 1964, the hazelnut spread became a global favorite. And Barilla’s Pan di Stelle breakfast cookies, which debuted in 1983, also quickly became a huge hazelnut hit.
For the most part, both companies stayed in their lanes — Ferrero kept its Nutella in its jar, and Barilla focused on its cookies.
And you’d be nuts to think Ferrero didn’t fight back. Here’s how it went down:
Nutella Biscuits were a humongous hazelnut hit: Ferrero sold a stomach ache-inducing 5.9m boxes of its cookies in just 4 weeks.
Since then, the 2 chocolate colossuses have continued their cocoa competition: Barilla rolled out a new line of Pan di Stelle cookies just a month after Nutella’s launch.