Parmigiano Reggiano PDO promotion launches in UK
Image: Parmigiano Reggiano Consortium
The Parmigiano Reggiano Consortium (Consorzio del Formaggio Parmigiano Reggiano) has launched a three-year integrated campaign co-funded by the European Union to promote the excellence of Parmigiano Reggiano and its Protected Designation Origin (PDO) status. Running from 2023 to 2026, the marketing campaign is aimed at the UK market and aims educate and inspire both trade and consumer audiences on one of Europe’s most well-loved, heritage cheeses.
The campaign will span display and TV advertising, social media, collaborations with high profile influencers and Parmigiano Reggiano’s brand ambassador Gennaro Contaldo, as well as participation at key events and press office activity, to deliver a consistent message to UK audiences.
President of the Parmigiano Reggiano Consortium, Nicola Bertinelli, commented: “We’re delighted to have the support of the EU in our continued efforts to educate UK trade and consumer audiences on Parmigiano Reggiano’s excellence, inspiring both professional chefs and home cooks on new ways to enjoy this incredibly versatile cheese, which carries such phenomenal craftsmanship and heritage with it.”
Over four million wheels of Parmigiano Reggiano are produced yearly, with 62,429 tonnes of Parmigiano Reggiano being exported annually. As of 2022, there are 305 dairies in a small region of northern Italy producing the cheese, still using the same heritage methods that have been trusted in its production for centuries. The campaign aims to enhance UK consumers’ knowledge of what makes Parmigiano Reggiano so unique and special.
Today, Parmigiano Reggiano is produced as it was almost 1,000 years ago, using the same three ingredients – milk, salt and rennet – and the same craftsmanship and production techniques. It is the only cheese that can legally be called ‘Parmesan’ and the collaborative three-year campaign between the Consortium and the EU aims to strengthen this message.
