The Vannella Cheese story begins in Puglia, Italy, with Vito Minoia. At sixteen, Vito began learning the age-old craft of cheesemaking at the local caseificio and never looked back. He married Pina Vannella, named the family business after her maiden name, and together they built something special. Vito made cheese out the back, Pina sold it out the front, and word spread quickly. When Vito visited Sydney during the 2000 Olympics, he fell in love with Australia (lucky us!). By 2004, the family had packed their bags and started Vannella Cheese in Cairns, using fresh local dairy to recreate the cheeses of Vito’s childhood. It’s thanks to Vannella that fresh cheeses like burrata, stracciatella, and mozzarella have become more familiar products and are now staples in the Australian food scene. As the reputation grew, so did the demand, and the family eventually relocated to Marrickville, where they now supply chefs and grocers across Australia.
We’re so lucky to be able to use such brilliant Australian-made products in our meals and to work with the talented team at Vanella Cheese. We recently caught up with the Vannella Cheese to learn more about their story, sustainable practices, and the evolving food scene in Australia. Here’s what they had to say.
Tell us about when and why you started working with The Dinner Ladies?
We first connected with The Dinner Ladies several years ago! Their dedication to creating wholesome, flavour-packed meals resonated with our own values of sourcing quality ingredients and making food with love. Since then, we’ve enjoyed seeing our cheeses feature in their recipes, knowing they’re being relished by families right across Australia. We're very fond of the team and share a mutual appreciation for honest, good food. We recently invited them to visit our factory so we can give you a behind-the-scenes look at day-to-day life in our production.
How have you seen the food landscape change throughout the years?
When we first started, there was far less awareness of artisanal products and where food came from. There was no burrata and stracciatella available commercially when we arrived, and now you can't go to an Italian restaurant without seeing it on the menu! Over the years, Australians have become incredibly passionate about provenance, seasonality, and authenticity. We’ve seen more people seeking out quality and wanting to connect with the stories behind their food. This makes us so proud to be part of that movement.
Do you follow sustainable practices in your business?
Yes, sustainability is close to our hearts, and our production methods are designed to minimise waste. One way we achieve this is by repurposing the whey byproduct from cheesemaking wherever possible. We use it to produce ricotta, and even whey butter. And because we make our cheese fresh to order, nothing sits around unnecessarily, meaning less waste overall. We have recently removed the plastic bags that were once used to package our burrata, saving hundreds of thousands of single-use plastic from landfill each year. Our remaining packaging is also curbside recyclable, from the tubs we use to pack cheese to the glass jars used for our feta. In 2022, we relocated our facilities and focused on implementing more sustainable practices in our business, investing in solar energy on our roof to help generate the energy needed to run our production.
What cheese is trending/popular at the moment?
Burrata has been having its moment for a while now. That silky, creamy centre just wins hearts every time. We're seeing Stracciatella (the luxurious filling inside burrata) really making waves with both chefs and home cooks these days. But honestly, fresh mozzarella of any kind will always have a place in people’s kitchens. It's so versatile and easy to use in everyday recipes, taking your toasties, bakes, and pizzas to new heights. We think it will never go out of style!
What’s your favourite Dinner Ladies meal?
It’s hard to pick just one! The sourdough pizza topped with our mozzarella is a clear standout. The way the cheese melts into those layers is pure comfort food.
Any final thoughts to add about why you love the job?
For us, cheesemaking isn’t just a job, it’s a craft, a tradition, and a way of sharing joy. We’re proud to be part of Australia’s growing love affair with fresh, artisan cheese, and we’re grateful for partnerships like The Dinner Ladies that allow our products to reach more people in delicious, heart-warming ways.
