This iconic pasta sauce is adopted by Campbell’s – and its fans are heartbroken

A sizable group of Spaghetti fans rallied online last week to mourn the possible demise of Raos homemade – the famous brand of pasta sauces in a jar that was acquired by the food giant Campbell Soup Company on Monday. Well, to be precise, Rao’s still exists as a brand. But Sovos Brands, the maker of Rao’s pasta sauces, was bought as part of Campbell’s a mass takeover This also includes Michael Angelo’s Frozen Foods and Noosa Yogurt.

The deal is set in stone at this point, given that both companies have reached an agreement whereby Campbell’s will acquire Sovos for $23 a share in cash — a combined value of about $2.7 billion. It’s a big win for Campbell’s, which makes prego sauce and goldfish crackers in addition to its namesake soups. And it’s a big win for Sovos Brands to capitalize on Campbell’s established supply chain and will see increased distribution of their products.

However, some fans of Rao fear their favorite sauce by the jar is about to be downgraded and fear the quality will drop as production increases. Rao’s was touted as that preferably pasta sauce that exists on this planet. Seriously, no other pasta sauce in a jar compares. Barilla Marinara? Classico marinara with plum tomatoes? Bertolli Traditional Marinara? No, they’re not even on the same level. So it makes sense why so many ardent fans of the brand are suspicious of what’s to come.

You could say that Rao’s fanbase is pretty iconic. Of course, it’s not a cult in the truest sense of the word. But if you stand by the brand, you really stand by it. So much so that they don’t want to accept that there is anything better on the market than Rao’s. take it from Alex Delany from Bon Appétitwho explained the reason for this Rao’s reign is undisputed is due to the short but simple list of ingredients.

“Rao’s uses high-quality tomatoes and olive oil, with no added preservatives or colorings. The rest of the ingredients won’t surprise you: salt, pepper, onions, garlic, basil and oregano. You know, the stuff you would expect to be in a delicious marinara,” Delany wrote. “And the biggest omission on this list is the added sugar. That tells you something about the taste.”

Delany added that the sauce was “very balanced” in the sweet section and tasted very homemade overall. And of all the ingredients listed, Rao’s uses a generous amount of olive oil: “You can see it sitting right on top of the sauce before you even open the jar. We love this dedication to the greasy olive oil side of the sauce. This fat is the key to a fantastic, well-rounded marinara.

It’s no wonder Rao’s is Ina Garten’s favorite sauce in a jar. “Of course it’s always good to make your own, but I think Raos is amazing, so store-bought is good too,” Garten said in a comment 2019 interview with TODAY. Rao’s is also a must for Costco shoppers. And it was number one TODAY list of the best pasta sauces in a jar. Simply put, Rao’s is the “chef of the sauce”.

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After Rao’s takeover, fans were ecstatic Costco subreddit to express their disappointment. Many Redditors have expressed the urgency to stock up on sauce jars as soon as possible. “I bought them a few weeks ago when they were on sale. I usually keep 3-4 jars just in case because I just LOVE the stuff. I need to check the expiration date but I have yet to get some.” wrote one user.

Another wrote“Rao’s was my sauce of choice when I didn’t feel like making my own.” And one heartbroken user easy said“That sucks. Everything we needed.” [the] last 15-20 years.”

It’s too early to say what the future holds for Rao; Neither Rao’s nor Campbell’s have indicated plans for a formula change. But hopefully fans of the sauce can continue to enjoy it to the fullest.