By Lorrie Baumann

CASAFINA, known primarily for its European tabletop collections, is now expanding its product line to include items that will fit comfortably into today’s farmhouse kitchen aesthetic. In addition, CASAFINA’s acquisition by a Portuguese ceramics factory offers independent kitchen retailers a new opportunity to offer European-made stoneware products at a price point their customers will like, according to the company’s National Sales Manager, Matt Hullfish.

CASAFINA was founded in the 1980s by Donna Caciatore Smith, who was inspired by both her Italian grandmother’s family festivities and the ceramics she saw during her travels in Portugal. The company was acquired in 2017 by the Portuguese ceramics manufacturer that had been its main supplier. The new parent company is investing in CASAFINA’s product development, marketing, logistics and customer service, and as a result, kitchenware retailers can expect to see the company’s products on display along with the Costa Nova-branded products produced by its Portuguese parent at a number of trade shows this year. They’re bound to notice that the CASAFINA collections still include the tabletop items that the company is known for, but that kitchen items such as mixing bowls and batter bowls, a paper towel holder, pitchers and baking dishes from the new Fattoria Collection have been added to the familiar offerings.

The entire Fattoria line will sit beautifully on open shelving or in glass-fronted cabinets to make a farmhouse kitchen statement. The aesthetic takes a contemporary approach without losing traditional country charm. All of the items are available in white, and a few pieces are also being produced in a pale gray and a retro green. “The product is functional in everyday use and tailored to the Millennial consumer,” Hullfish said. “Fattoria definitely fits for that specific segment. Even in our collections that are more tabletop based, the serveware is still very functional for everyday use. It’s not product that you take out and use on holidays once or twice a year. It’s really designed to be used on an everyday basis.”

The new products challenge the notion that European-made is expensive by coming at a price point that’s affordable for most American households. “A lot of that value comes from the fact that we’re owned by our factory — it makes a big difference in terms of our pricing and the value equation we can put on the table,” Hullfish said.

All of the CASAFINA stoneware pieces, including the items in the new Fattoria Collection, are made from durable stoneware fired at 2,200 degrees and are dishwasher safe, freezer safe, oven safe and microwave safe, so they can, indeed, be used every day, in every appliance. The products’ durability can be traced to the company’s eco-friendly single firing system, which produces stoneware products that are highly resistant to temperature, shock and scratches.

The oven-to-table baking dishes and casseroles are available in a wide range of sizes and colors to fit any home entertaining need and are priced competitively relative to other European products. “There are bakers in absolutely every collection we carry in both brands [CASAFINA and Costa Nova],” Hullfish said. “Metal stands for the bakers make them even a little ‘giftier.’ We have a lot of accounts who don’t buy any dinnerware from us — they just buy our giftware and serveware.”

CASAFINA remains very focused on independent retailers, according to Hullfish. “We don’t do big-box business. We don’t do direct sales to Amazon. We’re a very independent-friendly brand,” he said. “Independents are our lifeblood, and we make sure we stay away from the things that aggravate and upset them.”

For more information, visit www.casafinagifts.com. The prices listed on the site are MAP pricing, and they’re current.