Tell us a bit about La Latteria and how it started:
La Latteria was created in 2016, after coming back from 7 years in the Middle East and a difficult decision to abandon my career in finance to follow my instinct and fulfil an idea that had been roaming in my mind for very long time.
Aware of the huge Italian community in London and the deep interest and love for everything Italian, in February 2016 La Latteria, an artisanal “Caseificio” (cheesemaking facility) in the heart of London became a reality.
The objective was very simple, to create an innovative model offering a better alternative to the traditional import of fresh Italian cheeses (like mozzarella, burrata, ricotta), introducing the British market to the concept of “Super Fresco” and “Kilometre Zero”.
The basic assumptions were (i) abundance of the highest quality raw material – milk (with the UK being one of the largest milk producers in the world), (ii) the ability to relocate artisans from Italy and (iii) training of local resources.
Sadly challenges started to pour in immediately, with the British supply chain structurally very different from the Italian one (with milk buying concentrated in the hands of few large milk buyers) and the recruitment of resources from Italy and locally becoming an impossible task (as a result of Brexit). But persistency and stubbornness of the team has allowed La Latteria to grow and flourish, nonetheless.
Today La Latteria, mainly focused on the B2B segment, has become a staple player on the cheese scene in London and a clear synonym of quality, freshness and Italian authenticity far from “home”.
What does a typical day at La Latteria involve?
Our day starts before most people open their eyes. Our artisans receive fresh milk every morning around 4:00am when the magic starts at the hand of our incredibly talented artisans. The production team, after reviewing the production schedule for the day, will plan the day in terms of what to produce, the order of production for the various products and then allocate tasks and responsibilities to the team members. We produce on order and so no day is the same as the previous one or the next one.
Once the production is completed, our despatch team will prepare the orders for the delivery run that will start at dawn on the following day, to make sure our customers received the freshest possible produce.
And while our “artists” work their wonders in our lab, we have a very small team behind-the-scenes that works relentlessly to support the business growth, to nourish our relationship with existing, new customers, suppliers and a wide array of stakeholders, to make sure the business continues to flourish.
What makes La Latteria different?
Our customers don’t buy products! They buy an experience! A journey through traditional recipes brought to life by experienced artisans, whose passion and dedication have helped us re-create a piece of Puglia right here in the heart of London
At Peter’s Yard, our ethos is all about taking time for the simple pleasures in life – tell us, what are your favourite pastimes?
When not out and about scouting new places and ways to spread our mission and values, I love spending time with my family and kids, who have now become the biggest cheese experts I know and always on the lookout for “newness”
How do you enjoy Peter’s Yard?
Oh that’s a difficult one. I can think of multiple pairings with each of our soft cheeses. But if I had to pick my top two, I would definitely say some sea salt sourdough flatbreads with our scrumptious stracciatella and a tiny bit of olive oil and then your incredible Fig & Spelt sourdough crackers with ricotta and honey. Yumm!!!
What do you love about Peter’s Yard products?
Beyond the exceptional quality, I think the range of flavours, which is a huge enhancer when paired with cheese. And even more so with very delicate cheeses, like ours.
Finally, what’s planned for this year at La Latteria?
Our ambition every year is the same – to grow, flourish and continue our mission to offer the British public the best of what the artisanal cheese world has to offer, British or not! We are going to focus more on expanding our food service channels and rebuild our strength after few very challenging years.
We want to see our cheeses on as many tables as we can reach within the UK without compromising on quality but also tradition and authenticity.
