I got an insider's taste of Italy ahead of Big Mamma's Dublin opening — here's what to expect

The Big Mamma restaurant group offers an insider’s taste of Italy — from family-run dairies to boutique wineries, writes Breda Graham

Features writer Breda Graham pictured taking a tour of the Caseificio Gennari in Parma.

Watching burly Italian men arm-deep in giant copper vats filled with milk curd perform what can only be described as a workout was not on my 2025 bingo card, but here we are.

For context, I am at Caseificio Gennari in Parma, Italy, learning all about the very skilled work required to make the finest Parmigiano Reggiano.

The region of Emilia-Romagna, while just an hour and 40 minutes from the vibrant and cosmopolitan city of Milan, feels worlds away from this place that’s renowned for fashion and design.

While the blue disposable gown and hat I’m rocking on the tour of the Caseificio Gennari factory, over the same colour blue pantsuit, wouldn’t make it onto this season’s runways in the city, it instead made me look ready to perform surgery.

It was the cutting into the final products – 42kg wheels of cheese – and appreciating the creamy taste of the signature Parmigiano Reggiano that our small group of five from Ireland looked forward to after a fascinating tour of the factory.

I’m here with Big Mamma, a restaurant group on a mission to “change people’s lives with pizza”. 

Born in France, out of the desire to transport people to Italy through its unique and atmospheric trattorias (Italian restaurants) offering authentic dishes made from fresh produce from Italy, the Big Mamma group talks of putting people at the heart of everything they do, from their producers to theirteam and guests.

And our small group travelled to Italy to get a glimpse into this ethos, and their farm-to-table approach.

A worker carrying out the skilled job of coagulation at Caseificio Gennari. Picture: Laura Maniscalco.

The first stop on our two-day itinerary is a visit to the cheese masters at Caseificio Gennari, who have been making their Parmesan for over 72 years. Upon arrival at the family-run dairy in Parma, we meet Cristina Moroni, export manager at Caseificio Gennari and guide extraordinaire. 

She gives us a breakdown of the history of Caseificio Gennari, starting with Sergio and Maria Gennari, who took over a small dairy in Collecchio in 1953 and started producing three wheels a day of Parmigiano Reggiano.

Today, production has increased to 100 wheels per day under the management of Sergio and Maria’s sons, Paolo Gennari, master cheese maker, and Tino Gennari, who takes care of the farm, in addition to grandchildren Andrea and Laura, who manage the dairy and various stores.

A 42kg wheel of cheese aging at Caseificio Gennari. Picture: Laura Maniscalco.

The Gennari family uses milk from three different breeds: the black and white Friesian, the Brown cow, and the superior Red, which produce four different selections: Frisona, Vacca Bruna, Vacca Rossa, and Biologico di Frisona.

I am fascinated by the labour- intense process of Parmesan-making, from coagulation, where liquid milk is turned into solid curd, to the skills of the workers whose job it is to fetch the curd out of the vat using a tool called a spino, before slicing it in half and placing both pieces in moulds, where they are rested and turned before being bathed in 100% salt water for 21 days.

Caseificio Gennari, which dates back to 1953, produces 100 wheels of cheese per day. Picture: Breda Graham.

One of the stand-out moments is walking into the room where the wheels of cheese are stored, some of which age for 24, 36, 40 or even 100 months. This is where we enjoy the aromas the signature Parmesan releases – the scent of hay and meadows. During the taste test, it quickly becomes apparent why Big Mamma founders Victor Lugger and Tigrane Seydoux chose Caseificio Gennari as the group’s Parmigiano Reggiano supplier ten years ago.

Our taste buds are put to work again later that evening, when we sit down to a beautiful meal at Gloria Osteria Milano, which opened in the city two years ago.

The interior of Gloria Osteria Milano. Picture: Breda Graham.

The atmosphere is warm and elegant, and the interior eclectic and colourful, a homage to the height of 1970s Italian glamour, with meticulous attention to detail by London-based Studio Kiki.

Sitting at the same table as the head chef, Manuel Prota, I get an insider’s view into how the food is prepared by his brigade, using the freshest high-quality ingredients.

Also joining us is the executive chef of Big Mamma group, Filippo La Gattuta, who demonstrates a love of food and a canny talent for choosing the perfect wines to complement each dish.

Head chef of Gloria Osteria Milano Manuel Prota and executive chef of Big Mamma Group Filippo La Gattuta. Picture: Breda Graham.

One of the most enjoyable dining experiences I’ve had, we tuck into creamy risotto with 24-month aged Parmigiano, fried saffron risotto, Sicilian tomato sauce with homemade spaghetti and beef tenderloin Wellington– a show stealer made even more memorable by the lovely company at the dinner table.

On our final day in the land of history, culture and gastronomy, we travel to Tenuta Mazzolino, a boutique winery in Oltrepò Pavese, where we meet owner Francesca Seralvo and wine grower Stephen Malchiodi, who give us a tour of the cellar and beautiful vineyards surrounding the villa, with sweeping views across Lombardy.

The view of the surrounding land from Tenuta Mazzolino boutique winery in Oltrepò Pavese. Picture: Breda Graham.

We learn the story of Tenuta Mazzolio, a tale of passion and dedication, a love for the vineyard and its traditions, and respect for the nature that surrounds it.

Referred to locally as “the Pinot Noir hill”, Seralvo’s grandfather was seduced by the land on his travels 40 years ago, before embarking on a journey that has led Tenuta Mazzolino where it is today, with Seralvo and Malchiodi at the helm.

During a wine tasting of four different styles – Terrazze Alte Pinot Nero, Tenuta Mazzolino Blanc De Blancs, Tenuta Mazzolino Cruasé, and Blanc Chardonnay — it’s evident just how proud they are of what they produce from the white, chalky lands surrounding the winery.

Dinner at Tenuta Mazzolino boutique winery in Oltrepò Pavese.

The trip ends on the perfect note with a home-cooked meal prepared for us by Big Mamma chefs Prota and La Gattuta, whose pride in their work is both admirable and infectious. 

I can’t help but feel moved, watching the two chefs whom we have spent the last couple of days getting to know, doing what they love. Inspired and sated, I am looking forward to my next slice of Milan, only this time it will be a lot closer to home.

• Breda was a guest of Big Mamma. Gloria Osteria Dublin will open on 41 Westmoreland Street in a restored 19th-century bank at the end of November.