CHEESE & DAIRY
Cream of the crop With control from farm to fork, Granarolo offers global reach and traditional values, while a significant investment boost is also on the horizon. BRANCHING OUT Granarolo is Italy’s largest dairy group and a trusted brand name across hospitality. Committed to bringing authentic, highquality products to customers across the UK, the business maintains traditional methods, while embracing innovation. And they’re set to grow exponentially. “We’re excited to announce that our new head office and distribution centre will open in the Midlands in Q4 2025,” said group sales director Granarolo UK, Craig Ward. “Servicing customers across the UK, this site will have a new product development and test
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kitchen, providing a larger footprint for expansion.” This latest boost is in addition to Granarolo SPA’s over €300 million in groupwide growth and customer innovation investments. “We will be exhibiting at the International Cheese & Dairy Expo at Stafford in June, showcasing our range and sharing a tasting menu, reflecting flavour and serving trends. We will also be unveiling our NPD. We can’t say much yet, but we have a winning flavour and serving cheese ready to launch!” BAKING THE GRADE Following the success of burrata, there has been a rise
in interest in stracchino, Italy’s second best-selling cheese after mozzarella. “It’s a huge opportunity. Stracchino is a traditional cow’s milk cheese with a mild, creamy texture and incredibly versatile – we’re confident it will be a success.” Granarolo is also seeing real growth in baked cheese across retail, including the first baked burrata – as seen in M&S (Christmas 2024 and Valentine’s Day 2025). “Burrata is traditionally served as a chilled product, but working with the M&S
team, we have created a baking Burrata with nduja and ciabatta crumb meal kit,” continued Ward. “We see this easily transferring into the hospitality sector, enabling operators to serve the muchloved burrata as a warm dish, adding complementary flavours to suit menus. In addition, the demand for authentic Italian produce is driving growth in products using Italian milk, known for its creamy flavour. “Not all cheese is created equally; at Granarolo we have full traceability of the supply chain, with milk produced by Italian farmers, allowing operators to use ‘Italian’ in front of products where appropriate. And while there are pressures across the sector, as a manufacturer, we are closer to the product. Combine this with the fact that we are part of an Italian dairy cooperative, and you have complete transparency. “Our aim is to continue delivering authentic and quality products, with great service,” concluded Ward. www.pizzapastamagazine.co.uk 20/02/2025 11:30