We were honoured to join the Montalto family in celebrating 70 years of Floridia Cheese at their incredible Anniversary Gala. There was so much joy and heart in the room. An evening filled with all the people that have been part of Floridia’s incredible success story from staff and suppliers to dairy farmers and distributors, and of course, family.
From humble beginnings in 1955 to a global presence in over 10 countries, their story is one of authenticity, passion, hard work, and a deep commitment to family and quality.
Our CEO, Catherine Sayer, was proud to be asked to speak at the celebration, sharing the following about Floridia Cheese and the Montalto Family:
“Good evening everyone, it’s a real honour to be here tonight to celebrate something truly remarkable - 70 years of Floridia Cheese. Seventy years of excellence, passion, and above all, heart.
“Family businesses are the backbone of our economy making up about 70% of all businesses and employing 50% of the workforce.
“Floridia Cheese can be defined by seven decades of solid foundations, sound business decisions, and premium, highly awarded, sought after and loved cheese products.
“Floridia has never wanted to be the biggest. Instead, they’ve focused on being the best and that focus on quality has guided them from day one. This is a business that has grown organically, through dedication, word of mouth, and cheese that speaks for itself.
“When I visited the factory a few weeks ago, I watched burrata being made by hand. The kind of thing that demonstrated how much skill, love and care goes into every single product.
“But Floridia isn’t just about high-quality cheese — it’s about people. It’s about family. In speaking with some of the Floridia team, it’s a place that feels like home. Staff feel connected, respected, and empowered. They describe the family as approachable, warm, and trusting, giving them the freedom and flexibility to do their job well with an enormous amount of pride. Over the years, 15 family members have worked in the business, now with the 4th generation coming through. Another example of family and family values is that amongst the staff, there have been multiple family members working there at the same time.14% of the workforce has worked with Florida for more than 10 years, 7% over 20 years and that’s excluding family! Many of the 85 employees who start there, stay for a long time.
“Floridia is all about what you have in here - [gesture: hand on heart] - and this family has it in spades. Passion, quick thinking, a strong sense of tradition, and an instinct to take care of each other.
“And then there’s Tom. The heart and history of Floridia Cheese. Tom is 79, and still comes in every day to greet the Floridia team — putting the heaters on before anyone else arrives, making sure everyone’s looked after. Just the other day, when some of the family were headed to the Family Business Conference, there he was at 5am, looking for “his girls” so he could open the gates for them to go to the airport.
“Tom started working with his parents pretty well from the beginning of Floridia Cheese. One day, he just didn’t go back to boarding school, he stayed to help his mum and dad. He even turned back from his honeymoon as he knew they needed his help. That’s the soul of a family business.
“And now, with Francesco bringing the energy of a fourth generation, the future of Floridia is in excellent hands. Growing, year on year, investing in new equipment and technology, while holding firm to traditions, they are honouring the past while embracing what’s next.
“Their relationships with overseas customers reflect the Floridia values, building long-term partnerships, often with other family businesses. Because that’s what they do: build trust and legacy.
“So to the team at Floridia —Tom, Mauro, Lisa, Rose, Daniel and Fabio, and the new generation led by Francesco, the entire family, and every person who has poured their heart into this business over the last 70 years, congratulations! You are a shining example of everything that makes the family business sector so wonderful.
“Here’s to the next 70 years — full of flavour, full of heart.”
Congratulations to the Floridia Cheese family. 70 years young! We can’t wait to see what you do next.
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