Cheese lover? Plan a visit to Granarolo, Bologna

It is no longer a secret that Italy is an excellent country for cheese lovers. Mozzarella, mascarpone, gorgonzola, burrata, taleggio… Do I have to get going? Italy is the birthplace of many delicious cheeses. The cheeses are used in pasta, on pizzas, in salads or just plain.

There are countless places in Italy that you can visit as a cheese lover. Restaurants and shops of course, but also several factories. One of these is Granarolo. This dairy producer is the largest in all of Italy. So there is a good chance that you have already eaten one of their products.

Emilia-Romagna: region with many famous delicacies

Every Italian region has a number of famous regional products. Yet Emilia-Romagna is perhaps the leader, the culinary heart of Italy. Mortadella, Parma ham, balsamic vinegar and tagliatelle are just a few examples of foods from this region. In total, this concerns about 200 traditional products and 26 ingredients that have a protected status.

But now the most important thing: the cheeses! The undisputed number one: Parmigiano Reggiano. According to various studies, this is the most popular Italian cheese. Not surprising when you consider how many dishes this cheese is used in.

About 3 million Parmesan cheese wheels are produced every year. The real imported Italian Parmigiano Reggiano may only be produced from the milk of cows living between the cities of Reggio, Modena, Parma, Mantova and Bologna. The Granarolo factory is one of those producers. 

Cheese paradise in Granarolo

Granarolo was founded in Bologna in 1957 and, in addition to collecting milk, was also directly involved in processing and trading it. At the time this was still quite unique. Over the years, Granarolo continued to develop until the company could call itself the largest producer in Italy.

In the current market they are also involved in sustainability projects. For example, they indicate on their website that they are the only milk producer in Italy with an integrated and controlled production system.

Granarolo produces a lot of different cheeses, including the regional product of Emilia-Romagna, Parmesan. Other brand cheeses available in stores include scamorza, quattrocento, gorgonzola and buffalo mozzarella.

Several Granarolo cheeses have won prizes at the World Cheese Awards. In 2023 they won gold for their Granarolo Gorgonzola DOP Piccante, and the Capretta Blu Mario Costa. That last one might need a little explanation: this is a soft goat's cheese with blue mold. Very special and distinctive!  

Visit to a Granarolo factory or farm

As a true cheese fanatic, what could be better than taking a look behind the scenes? At Granarolo this is possible in different ways. First of all, you can visit all factories for free, including the headquarters in Bologna.

There are also locations in Soliera (Modena), Aprilia (Latina) and Gioia del Colle (Bari). So if you have a holiday to one of these regions planned, you can also plan a visit. During a visit you can see how the cheese is made, and of course you will also get something tasty to taste at the end.

If you want to go back to basics, you can also visit the farms where Granarolo milk comes from. These are also spread throughout Italy. During a visit to such a farm, the farmer will show you around. 

Information about all options can be found here Granarolo's website. 

Pasticceria around the corner

If you still fancy something sweet after a visit to the factory in Bologna, you just have to turn left. So it has nothing to do with cheese, but I thought it was worth mentioning: Gino Fabbri's pasticceria. Coincidentally, this bakery is located next to the Granarolo factory.

This pasticceria has also won a lot of prizes and Gino is the chairman of Accademia Maestri Pasticceri Italiani (academy of Italian pastry masters). A neat title if you ask me!

For example, you can eat a delicious meal at this bakery donut (doughnut) or a Roman husband. But you can also go for something bigger, like a meringue pie.

Granarolo Bodega

Granarolo products are of course available in many Italian supermarkets. You can even find some cheeses in the Dutch supermarket. You can put them in your shopping cart at Plus, DekaMarkt, Dirk and Coop, among others. This mainly concerns the famous Parmigiano Reggiano.

Would you like to shop more extensively? Then you should go to Granarolo Bodega, in the center of Bologna. Virtually all of the brand's products are for sale here, including award-winning cheeses. You are guaranteed to come back from this store with a lighter wallet.