Winning cheeses

The world of Italian cheese continues to off er the sector some real greats for operators and consumers alike to utilise across their menus, not least because they represent true and authentic, Italian cuisine.

IN DEMAND

Earlier this year, Futura Foods - the team behind the UK’s well-known Greek and Cypriot cheese brand YAMAS! - launched a family of Italian dairy products under a distinctive new brand for UK convenience retail.

RAGAZZI!, coming from an Italian phrase used to address a group of familiar people (similar to Brits saying “hey guys”, made its debut in SPAR stores across the South West with a focus on provenance and quality, and featuring premium Italian classics in convenient and accessible formats for consumers.

The range includes Parmigiano Reggiano DOP in both wedge and grated formats, a creamy mozzarella ball and bite-sized pearls, as well as a classic hard cheese shaker for adding those fi nishing touches to dishes like spaghetti Bolognese. Products come from carefully selected partner dairies across Italy, report Futura, each demonstrating a passion for their craft and years of experience.

Italian food remains a staple within UK households, with research from Hello Fresh this year confirming that “Italian food is the most popular for the second year running”. It looks set to remain this way with research from thefoodpeople™ (2022-23 UK Trends) reporting that Italian cuisine ranks highest for both “mass appeal” and in “evidence of trend setting influence”.

Furthermore, speciality hard cheese is a growth area within UK retail with Nielsen data (4 Weeks to 27 August 2022) showing that the category grew by 6.5%. Add in the Parmigiano Reggiano Consortium reporting the British consumed over 150,000 wheels of the cheese through 2021, and UK sales were up a further 7.3% in the first quarter of this year, making it the perfect opportunity for retailers to expand their offering, suggest Futura.

“RAGAZZI! now gives consumers a fantastic option on the shelves. It is perfectly positioned between the market leading brand and own label, in ideal formats for convenience,” says Rhian Kinman, senior marketing manager for Futura Foods.

The RAGAZZI! design is eye catching too, with the dark base colour, engaging product usage, and Italian references standing out in the category fixtures, having also already impressed the judges at the 2022 International Cheese and Dairy Awards by picking up a silver award in the Branded Retail Prepack Presentation Class.

GREAT TASTE AWARD WINS

C Carnevale Ltd, a well-known, family-run business which has now been manufacturing specialist Italian cheese and meat products since 1966 in London, with Carmine Carnevale himself making mozzarella and ricotta cheese at the outset, secured recognition for two of its cheeses – ricotta and fiordilatte – with wins in this year’s Great Taste Awards (a three gold star for its ricotta and a one gold star for its fiordilatte taglio Napoli).

The company now make their products in a dedicated production facility at its Valerio production plant in Bedford, with a team of dairy specialists and Carmine Carnevale (now 81 years of age) involved personally in the development of these cheeses.

Carmine Carnevale emigrated to the UK from a village called Capracotta in Molise, Southern Italy, having learnt how to make mozzarella and ricotta in his homeland and then transferring his knowledge and production techniques when making these products in London using fresh British milk. He was working at a dairy in London owned by the widow of Mario Zampi (a famous film producer of the 1960s), and when she sold the business, he decided to set up his own fiordilatte and ricotta production, along with his brother.

“It is truly a great honour to win such an accolade for a specialist cheese that was one of the core products when Carmine started the business over sixty years ago. The fact that he, the owner, is still directly involved in its production and the development of its taste and texture is testament to the years of hard work and expertise that are behind its production,” says Maurizio Valerio.

Valerio’s is a specialist manufacturer of mozzarella and ricotta cheese, based in the market town of Bedford, and was established over 60 years ago, operating from its dedicated Bedfordshire dairy.

They produce a unique range of premium Italian cheeses using fresh UK milk, and ranging from mozzarella, bocconcini and fiordilatte to pizza cheese, burrata, stracciatella and ricotta. All products are produced daily in a modern, BRC AA-Grade accredited plant, from UK Farm Assured and Red Tractor approved milk, say the company, and the majority of their cheese is made to order, thus maximising shelf-life and freshness, with order lead times of as little as two working days, and delivered nationally.

“Our newest product, fiordilatte cheese, is ideally suited for wood fired ovens and available in 275g balls, shredded, julienne style or cubed,” explains Maurizio Valerio.

“This product is manufactured using traditional, Southern Italian techniques and is fresher and softer than pizza cheese. It melts slightly quicker, but the flavour profile once cooked

“All products are made from fresh British milk on a daily basis and are available in a variety of pack sizes, tailor-made for individual requirements.”

SEEKING INSPIRATION?

Using a recipe created by monks almost 1,000 years ago, Grana Padano PDO is made exclusively from raw, Italian milk from the production area, which is partially skimmed by natural surface skimming. Naturally lactose-free due to its artisanal production and long ageing process, Grana Padano also possesses unique nutritional features such as quality proteins, vitamins and mineral salts, especially calcium. From a nutritional perspective, 50g of Grana Padano provides 600mg of calcium, which is 60% of an adult’s and 50% of an adolescent’s requirement.

To many food lovers a good quality cheese such as Grana Padano PDO has the same indulgence factor as chocolate but without the sugar. With the added benefit of cheese pairing well with beer, wine, cider and many alcohol-free alternatives, it’s surely a menu must-have for Valentine’s Day? The chefs at Grana Padano PDO certainly think so, having come up with some recipe ideas in preparation for the occasion early next year.

Grana Padano Ciabatta dumplings with avocado, Amalfi lemon and chilli dip will transport you to relaxed lunches enjoyed in the Italian sunshine, they propose. Whereas for a taste of Italian street food, cacio e pepe pasta “frittatine” with Grana Padano are crispy, delightful and surprisingly simple to make, while Grana Padano cheese and nutmeg puffs offer a comforting start to any dinner when enjoyed with a favourite tipple. And for starter or main, Aubergine Milanese with Grana Padano hot espuma offers a lovely contrast of textures and flavours, they suggest.

Alternatively, and less challenging to make, advise Grana Padano’s chefs, is aged Grana Padano and pumpkin gnocchi as a delicious and simple main course (chef’s tip - save time by making the mashed potatoes in advance). For confident cooks who really want to go to town, Grana Padano agnolotti cacio e pepe is perfect for the wow factor, they add.

Cheese is often the perfect way to end a meal, but Grana Padano also has some inspiration for those with a sweet tooth. Grana Padano Riserva soufflé with fruit mustard and poached pears is perfect for discerning taste buds, they feel. Looking to impress with your presentation? Grana Padano cheesecake with lemon and figs looks as beautiful as it tastes, they claim.

This authentic and versatile ingredient is verified by the presence of the Grana Padano yellow lozenge and PDO trademark, the famous Grana Padano PDO ‘triangles’ being widely available at most supermarkets, and eighth, quarter, half and full wheels from a range of specialists such as Carnevale, MarcoAlimentari and Fine and Wild (for more information and recipe ideas, visit www.granapadano.it).

CONSISTENCY

Eurilait, one of the UK’s major suppliers of high quality dairy products to the UK retail, industrial and foodservice markets has become well known for its Maestrella brand of mozzarella.

This product became one of the leading mozzarellas for professionals in France and is now supplied to more than 60 countries worldwide, the company report, with the aim of offering quality, consistency and expertise. As a co-operative member too, Eurilait also point out that they are committed and dedicated to responsible cow’s milk practices which defend animal welfare.

With a wide range of different formats and melting properties, Maestrella has been created to deliver a quality mozzarella for the industry as a whole, with the aim of bringing tastiness and authenticity to a variety of applications. What’s more, this mozzarella can be used in wood, deck and conveyor ovens to give a different cooking, depending on what you are seeking to achieve in your recipes, say Eurilait. Needless to say, the possibilities are endless for recipes that can be made with this mozzarella, with Eurilait working closely with its partners to satisfy the tastes and habits of mozzarella eaters all over the country and beyond.

“We here at Eurilait are proud of our cooperative values, to be able to offer operators the best Mozzarella on the market. Maestrella offers us a wide range of mozzarella recipe opportunities to be able to satisfy the tastes and habits of mozzarella eaters all over the world,” says Rocky Page, food service and industrial controller at Eurilait.