Vico Food Box among the “Stelle del Sud” by Il Sole 24 Ore and Statista

Vico Food Box is among the “Stelle del Sud 2026”, a ranking created by Italy’s leading financial newspaper, Il Sole 24 Ore, in collaboration with Statista, dedicated to Southern Italian companies that recorded the strongest growth performance between 2021 and 2024.

A South that grows, innovates and exports

The “Stelle del Sud” ranking tells the story of an entrepreneurial South that is more diverse than often imagined. Alongside companies in construction, energy, engineering and IT, there are businesses active in logistics, commerce, tourism, digital services and, of course, in promoting Italian food abroad.

Vico Food Box fits into this context, with a journey that combines internationalisation, digital expertise, in-house logistics, community relationships and the promotion of Italian culture.

This recognition is part of a broader narrative: Southern companies growing despite a complex environment, turning constraints and geographical distance into flexibility, identity and innovation.

From an idea born abroad to an ecosystem built in Italy

Vico Food Box was founded in 2019 in the Netherlands from the experience of four Italians living abroad: Vittorio Colonna, Antonio Guarrera, Debora Celentano and Gennaro Viscardi. The initial idea was simple and concrete: making everyday Italian pantry products accessible even outside Italy.

In 2020 the project moved back to Italy, to Naples. From that moment on, growth followed a clear choice: internalising strategic functions, from logistics to customer care, from marketing to operations. Not an easy decision, but a decisive one to improve control, quality and service speed.

Over the years, the audience has evolved and expanded. Italians abroad were the initial core and remain an important part of the community, but today Vico Food Box also speaks to second generations, mixed families and European consumers looking for authentic Italian products — not a generic or stereotyped idea of Italianness.

Growth driven by bold choices and a growing community

The journey described by Il Sole 24 Ore highlights significant growth, reflected in key figures:

• over 300,000 customers across Europe,
• more than 5,000 products,
• a 5,000 sqm warehouse in Naples,
• over 10,000 reviews with an average rating of 4.9/5,
• 300,000 newsletter subscribers
• and around 40 direct employees.

These are important numbers, but they tell only part of the story. Behind the growth there are operational decisions, experiments, corrected mistakes and confirmations from an increasingly wider audience.

Above all, there is the intention to build a bridge between Italy and Europe, making the distribution of Italian products economically sustainable through a system based on technology, logistics, support and relationships.

The journey of Vico Food Box, bold at the beginning and still adventurous, has now reached a solid stage. Being among the “Stelle del Sud” is proof of that, recognising not only the results but also the company’s value and its ability to create long-term impact for the territory.

Bringing Italian culinary culture beyond borders

Vico Food Box continues to play its part in telling the story of a South that is not just a place to leave, but a place to build, hire, export and innovate from.

The goal remains the same: bringing Italian culinary culture beyond borders, delivering across Europe and the UK authentic products, habits, rituals and flavours that belong to everyday Italian life.

Seeing Vico Food Box listed among the “Stelle del Sud” is therefore a source of pride. Not as a finish line, but as confirmation of a direction: continuing to grow from Italy, looking towards Europe with strong roots in its home territory.