COVID-19 has wreaked havoc on our lifestyles – we’re staying in (and we implore you to, as well). Life has changed. Drastically. While it’s not permanent, it’s a big shift, and we’re all feeling it. While you’re doing the right thing (spatial and social distancing + self isolating), we’re updating you with what you need to know about all the things you love. How you can still eat, drink, consume, watch and buy the things that bring you joy. How you can continue to support Australian businesses, artists, creators, makers and more. How you can stay amused, active, educated and entertained at home. How we can all stay connected to the things that make us us.
Tell us about That’s Amore Cheese.
That’s Amore Cheese is a fine Italian style cheese producer and leader in the Dairy Industry in Australia. We are all about delivering artisan Italian style cheese, using only the best farm fresh local Victorian milk available. All our cheese is made following only traditional recipes, without artificial colours and preservatives, just good local ingredients.
What inspired you to start That’s Amore Cheese?
Ironically, I found a passion for Italian cheese making in Australia as I had never made cheese before arriving here. I migrated to Melbourne from Sicily without a word of English in 2004 and picked up a job in a cheese factory. A passion for making cheese started and I credit part of the initial charm to the fact it looked challenging. During the first four years in Australia I had worked in two different cheese factories and then, in 2008, I went on to open That’s Amore Cheese.
Tell us about your career and background.
I grew up in Italy and had a career in advertising before I migrated to Australia. During the two years prior to coming to Australia I worked in a small shop selling regional food products typical of the Aeolian Island (off the north-coast of Sicily). It was during this time that my interest in the artisanal food industry began to grow.
Moving to Australia was an adventure and, after my experience in cheese factories, I stepped out on my own to open That’s Amore Cheese. I began with just one product –Bocconcini Leaf, which I found to be a huge hit with the Italian restaurants. I was doing everything at this stage, making the cheese, approaching restaurants to create sales and delivering.
I knew I needed to make some more varieties and so soon started making Burrata and Scamorza.
Over the first two years, the business grew rapidly and I took over Donnybrook’s cheese factory. Within a further five years we had outgrown the factory and That’s Amore Cheese moved into a larger facility in Thomastown. Here, I was able to also create a beautiful deli for customers to not only buy our cheese products but also other deli produce and Italian products. We also opened a café where our chefs create delicious dishes using our cheeses.
Despite the exceptional growth we had already seen, I approached the export market and we now supply cheese to more than 10 countries.
Two years ago I launched a sister brand ‘Cannoleria by That’s Amore’, which specialises in ricotta cannoli and we have since added two permanent stores to our pop-up cannoli carts.
Today That’s Amore Cheese has a team of 100 and we make more than 40 different types of cheese.
Describe a typical work day for you.
The first thing worth mentioning is that no two days in the cheese making world are exactly the same. Cheesemaking is an artisan craft which depends on its key ingredient: milk. Because the milk we use is farm fresh, natural and locally sourced, it is like any natural product in that it can vary in its consistency and taste from day to day. It can depend on the weather, the time of year and even the cows’ mood. As a result, our recipes and processes can slightly change to match these fluxes day by day. I often find myself having to make slight adjustments to the recipes to make sure it’s just right. I believe this nuance is where the real art lies in cheese making for sure.
The more routine part of the day is definitely the mornings. I wake up in the early hours, before the sun is up, arrive at the factory and make an espresso for myself and my early riser staff. It’s quite nice at this time, as everything is very quiet. I have more time to notice everything around me and I feel I am back in time when the business was much smaller.
Usually around 8am that I head up to the office, where my more executive role truly begins. Within no time the phones start ringing and I begin with the meetings and everything else. Depending on the day, I can find myself in an array of roles ranging anywhere from back in production making cheese, in the office brainstorming next moves for the business, in our deli and cafè hosting guests and prospective new clients; or doing a last minute emergency delivery. I also still perform cheese making demonstrations at public and private events anywhere in the world!
What advice do you have for those wanting to start a business?
If you are going to work in a niche market, you have to do it really well and true. If you don’t believe in your product then no one will. You need to aim for high quality and have lots of passion for what you are doing. To be successful, put your heart into the product and have great customer service. Surrounding yourself with a great team that you trust it is also very important to be able to grow.
How has your business been affected by COVID-19, and what changes have you had to make?
Covid-19 has definitely reshaped our business model for the time being that’s for sure. With the slowing down of wholesale orders from restaurants, deli and cafes alike and the forced closure of our own Café, we have had to pivot the business to be able to survive and keep our staff employed.
We decided to launch an online store with home delivery so customers all over Melbourne could experience our products and service.
Since the initial lockdown announcement, the team at That’s Amore Cheese has made a concerted effort to shift our sales through to the online store in order to diversify our business model and remain viable. We believe malleability and innovation is at the heart of any successful business and we have definitely exercised these principles in the last month. We were adamant, from the moment we realised things would change, that we wanted to deliver our product to the public’s doorstep and have been expanding our online store on a weekly basis to meet the needs and requirements of the people in the community.
We not only sell and deliver our cheese range but have included plenty of deli and pantry items as well as ready meals from our café chefs to make the customer experience more interesting and to facilitate one delivery with all the staples people need.
The customer response has been fantastic, the community is so grateful of this new service that we offer, and they are loving the fact that they can receive gourmet deli goods delivered straight at their door!
What’s next for you, and That’s Amore Cheese?
It’s always a challenge to foresee the future as this recent period has shown us all. However, we are hopeful in believing that our brand and product will survive regardless of the mode of consumption. We will likely continue to invest in our new dynamic online presence as we eventually resume what was already in place and will do our best to strike a harmonious balance between our diverse streams of business. I never stop dreaming and thinking of what’s coming next!
For more info on That’s Amore Cheese, click here.