Provolone Valpadana – Sammies Award Finalist

21st April 2022

We’re delighted to have been shortlisted at this year’s Sammies Awards by The British Sandwich & Food to Go Association, with our Provolone Valpadana DOP Rounds in the New Product Award category.

This nomination recognises the product development and placement of this authentic Italian cheese into the UK marketplace. Available in 500g units each containing 20x25g circular Provolone slices, ensuring it is perfect for portion control and application ease.

Introducing Provolone Valpadana

Provolone Valpadana DOP is a semi-hard Italian cheese, made from whole milk of cows grazing in the plains of Northern Italy from Milan to Udine. It has a smooth rind and a mild, smokey, sweet flavour.

Our Provolone is produced by our partner dairy in the Veneto region. They have been making Provolone for over 80 years, passing their craft from generation to generation at their family-owned dairy.

Provolone Valpadana DOP is a pasta filata cheese, meaning it is produced by spinning the curd in a similar way to mozzarella and therefore has similar functional properties. However, as it is aged for 2-3 months it offers more pronounced flavour and firmer texture.

Provolone can be cut and packed in all different shapes and formats depending on the end usage and engagement requirements. The 25g slices that we supply are highly convenient to use for sandwich makers due to the portion control as well as the great functionality and versatility of the cheese.
It is enjoyed equally whether served hot or cold – making it ideal to be used across a range of offerings from sandwiches, baguettes and wraps to hot paninis and toasties. This ensures the ingredient remains relevant as menus are developed and updated, and like Mozzarella, Provolone also has that theatrical cheese pull when heated, giving it that extra element of indulgence.

Additionally, Provolone Valpadana boasts DOP status. The Italian provenance and authenticity positioning elevates the offering to consumers – a great feature to highlight on menus to reinforce the authenticity of the product.
DOP stands for Denominazione d’Origine Protetta and is the Italian wording for the European Union’s Protected Designation of Origin scheme. It’s the highest level of protection available and reserved for products with the strongest links to the place they are made, protecting consumers by ensuring less superior versions cannot be produced under the same name.

Whilst Provolone remains a relatively specialist product in the UK it appears to be gaining in popularity. Whilst it is becoming increasingly available in out of home settings such as restaurants and cafes, its popularity remains far behind that of the rest of Europe, as well as the USA where it is often the cheese of choice for a classic Philly Cheesesteak sandwich. We expect to see Provolone feature more prominently across retail, food manufacturing and foodservice over the coming years as it grows in popularity in the UK.

Futura’s Italian Cheese Portfolio

Futura supply Italian Cheeses into Food Manufacture, Foodservice and Retail channels, our product range includes both fresh and frozen (IQF) formats.

Visit our online product catalogue to find out more about or extensive range of Italian cheese including Provolone: https://futura-foods.com/our-business/our-products/product-catalogue/#italian-cheese