Helena Abdou
Silvio Pitruzzello can’t wipe the cheesy grin off his face after Pantalica Cheese in Thomastown was awarded a medal for their bacio cheese at the 2022 Sydney Royal Cheese & Dairy Show.
The mild tasting cheese used for salads and platters won gold in the soft or semi-hard category at the show.
After four days of competition, showcasing what the Australian dairy industry has to offer, champions from multiple states were crowned across the categories of cheese, ice cream and gelato, milk, yogurt, cream, and butter.
Judges awarded points for several qualities, including flavour, aroma, texture, and presentation,
awarding gold, silver, and bronze medals to those that met the respective benchmarks.
Pantalica Cheese general manager Silvio Pitruzzello said it was an “honour” to have their product recognised.
“It shows the hard work that we put in the business and it’s good to get some recognition,” Mr Pitruzzello said.
The family business has been around for almost 50 years now and has competed in the event for close to 10 years.
“Our products are made traditionally, they’re all Italian recipes. That’s where my father’s come from. We’re using family recipes to make our specialised cheeses.”
Mr Pitruzzello was unable to attend the evening in Sydney but intends to.
“Hopefully in the future as time ticks away and things improve…we’ll definitely come up.”
