In 1950, Arturo Montanari and Arnaldo Gruzza founded a small company in the village of Sant’llario d’Enza in the province of Reggio Emilia. Montanari & Gruzza began as a vendor of the traditional hard cheeses typical of the region, Parmigiano Reggiano and Grana Padano, but over time the range expanded, and now includes Prosciutto di Parma and butter. The founding partners’ sons inherited the growing business, and today they continue their fathers’ mission of processing and distributing only the highest quality products.

Montanari & Gruzza’s Parmigiano Reggiano is authentic and carries the DOP (Designation of Origin Protection) certification. They adhere to the strict laws that govern the production of Parmigiano Reggiano DOP, which covers all aspects of production including the diet and breed of the cows, the ageing conditions, and the quality of the cheese in its final stage. Montanari & Gruzza’s Parmigiano Reggiano is only made north of the River Po, in the province of Mantua, where the cows are fed on lucerne (alfalfa) and clover. The cheese is pale yellow in colour and has an unmistakable flavour and fragrance, having been aged for at least 24 months.

Montanari & Gruzza’s Grana Padano is made in Lombardy, only south of the River Po, from cows fed on grass and hay. Grana Padano is a light straw colour, is faster to mature (14–18 months) and is flakier than Parmigiano. Because it is younger, Grana Padano is less crumbly, milder and less complex in flavour than Parmigiano Reggiano.