Virgilio Dairy Consortium

What Virgilio Dairy Consortium does

Virgilio Dairy Consortium (legal name: Consorzio Latterie Virgilio Società Agricola Cooperativa) is a second-level Italian agricultural cooperative headquartered in Mantova, with additional operating presence in Carpi and Valeggio sul Mincio. Founded in 1960 as Consorzio Latterie Sociali Mantovane and operating under its current name since the 1960s, the consortium aggregates approximately 40 member cheesemakers and 800-1,500+ supplying farmers across both DOP production zones (left and right banks of the Po River). This dual-zone positioning makes it the only Italian consortium uniting producers of both Grana Padano DOP and Parmigiano Reggiano DOP under one branded house (Virgilio / La Cremeria Italiana).

The consortium's product portfolio spans two pillars: (i) DOP aged cheeses — Grana Padano, Grana Padano Riserva, and Parmigiano Reggiano in multiple aging profiles from 18 to 40+ months, offered as whole wheels, slices, grated, petals, and chunks; and (ii) "La Cremeria Italiana" dairy products including butter (standard, centrifuged, organic, lactose-free), mascarpone, cooking cream, whipping cream, ready-to-use béchamel UHT, and UHT whole/semi-skimmed/skimmed milk. Core production methods combine traditional artisan processes (copper boiler processing, natural rennet curdling, extended aging) with modern UHT treatment and quality/traceability systems, backed by BRC FOOD and IFS certifications and a 567-barn certified animal welfare program with monthly inspections.

Revenue is generated predominantly through branded physical product sales (cheese, butter, cream, milk, convenience formats, gift cards) distributed via owned e-commerce (shop.consorzio-virgilio.it), traditional retail channels, and the food service / horeca segment — all within the domestic Italian market (Lombardy region primarily). Pricing is publicly listed on the e-commerce storefront, ranging from roughly €1.50 for small consumer SKUs to €14.70+ for larger formats and €25/€50/€100 gift cards. The cooperative ownership model (member-owned, no external venture capital, capital social ~€8.9-9.6M) means profits flow back to member cheesemakers rather than external shareholders.

Name

Virgilio Dairy Consortium

Legal name

Consorzio Latterie Virgilio Società Agricola Cooperativa

Website

https://consorzio-virgilio.it

Company type

Private

Founded year

1960

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

251–500 employees

Short description

Virgilio Dairy Consortium is an Italian second-level agricultural cooperative, headquartered in Mantova, that aggregates 40 cheesemakers and 800-1,500+ farmers to produce and sell branded Grana Padano DOP, Parmigiano Reggiano DOP, butter, cream, mascarpone, milk, and béchamel to Italian consumers, retailers, and food service operators.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Product category

Italian Dairy and DOP Cheeses

NAICS

Dairy Product Manufacturing (3115), Cheese Manufacturing (311513)

SIC

Dairy Products (2020)

akta.pro primary industry

Cheese (Natural & Processed) (CRADACAC)

akta.pro secondary industries

Butter, Cream & Dairy Fats (CRADACAD), Yogurt & Cultured Dairy (Yogurt, Kefir, Sour Cream, Cottage Cheese) (CRADACAB)

Keywords

• Italian DOP cheeses
• Parmigiano Reggiano production
• Grana Padano consortium
• Dairy cooperative products
• Fresh Italian dairy

Headquarters

HQ city

Mantova

HQ country

Italy

HQ region

Europe

Offices3 records

Markets served

GTM type

B2C

Offering type

Hardware or Manufacturing

Cost components

Supply Chain, Operations, Personnel, Marketing or Sales, Others

Revenue model

1. Dairy Product Sales: The consortium generates revenue through the production and sale of branded Virgilio dairy products including butter, cream, mascarpone, béchamel sauce, UHT milk, and DOP certified cheeses (Grana Padano and Parmigiano Reggiano). Products are sold through direct e-commerce, retail channels, and likely food service/horeca sector. Revenue is derived from both consumer-facing B2C sales and wholesale B2B distribution.

Pricing tiers

Go-to-market motion1 record

Distribution channels1 record

Marketing channels5 records

Core offering

Virgilio Dairy Consortium is a second-level Italian dairy cooperative that produces and markets branded Virgilio dairy products under its La Cremeria Italiana sub-brand and DOP cheeses (Grana Padano DOP and Parmigiano Reggiano DOP). The consortium coordinates ~40 member cheesemakers and ~800-1,500 supplying farmers to deliver butter, cream, mascarpone, UHT milk, béchamel, and aged DOP cheeses across multiple formats to Italian consumers through own e-commerce and traditional retail channels.

Product overview

Virgilio Dairy Consortium is an Italian dairy cooperative offering a comprehensive portfolio of dairy products and PDO cheeses. The product range centers on two core categories: La Cremeria Italiana (dairy products including butter, mascarpone, cream, béchamel, and milk) and PDO cheeses (Grana Padano and Parmigiano Reggiano). The consortium also offers special product lines featuring single-origin cheeses from associated cheesemakers (MN409 Grana Padano and MN1703 Parmigiano Reggiano), organic varieties, lactose-free options, and gift packaging. Products range from bulk formats (4kg cheese wheels, 5kg butter) to consumer-friendly sizes (pre-sliced, grated, portions) and gift items. The consortium operates an e-commerce platform for direct consumer sales alongside traditional distribution channels.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Products and services

• Virgilio Butter (Burro Virgilio)

Quantifiable outcome

• 10 medals (5 silver, 5 bronze) at World Cheese Awards 2024 among 4,000 participants from 40 countries
• +2 more outcomes

Segments2 records

Ideal customer profiles2 records

Technology focussed No

API detail

Has API

No

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

Partnerships

Three partnerships are on record, tiered minor and core.

• Euroformaggi SPAminorOthersEuroformaggi SPA operates as a facility location in Valeggio sul Mincio (VR) for operations support, where the consortium has presence for certain business operations.
• Latteria San Donato MN403coreStrategic or Co-development PartnerLatteria San Donato MN403 is a key consortium member cheesemaker, producing Grana Padano DOP. Founded in 1960, it is located in the area of pastureland typical of the central Po plain. The consortium relies on members like San Donato who supply their entire production to guarantee constant quality.
• Latteria Venera Vecchia MN1703coreStrategic or Co-development PartnerLatteria Venera Vecchia MN1703 is a key consortium member cheesemaker, producing Parmigiano Reggiano DOP. Located in the lower Po plain, it represents a guarantee of quality in DOP dairy products with unique characteristics, combining geographical location and human input. Won three awards at World Cheese Awards 2018-19 including silver, bronze, and art of cheesemaking award.

Scale indicators7 records

Recent moves5 records

Expansion highlights5 records

Direct peers

• Granarolo: Italy's largest dairy cooperative, producing milk, cheese (including Grana Padano), butter, yogurt, and cream under the Granarolo brand. Direct comparable as a cooperative dairy processor serving retail and foodservice with a similar product mix and DOP cheese exposure.
• Latteria Soresina: Italian dairy cooperative producing Grana Padano DOP, milk, and dairy products. Closely comparable as a cooperative-structured DOP cheese producer with a similar member-farmer model and product portfolio.
• Zanetti SPA: Italian cheese and dairy producer with strong Grana Padano and Parmigiano Reggiano presence and a developed international export business. Comparable as a branded Italian DOP cheese exporter with overlapping core categories.
• Ambrosi S.p.A. Italian premium cheese maker specializing in Parmigiano Reggiano, Grana Padano, and other DOP cheeses with significant international distribution. Comparable as a branded Italian hard cheese producer competing in similar export channels.

Broad incumbents

• Parmalat (Lactalis Italia): Italian dairy market leader owned by Lactalis, producing UHT milk, cheese, butter, and cream. Comparable as a broad-line Italian dairy brand with overlapping product portfolio (milk, butter, cream, cheese), though it is a large multinational rather than a cooperative.
• Arla Foods: Large European dairy cooperative producing cheese, butter, milk, and yogurt. Comparable as a multinational dairy cooperative with a similar member-farmer ownership model and product portfolio, though operating at much larger scale across multiple countries.
• FrieslandCampina: Major Dutch dairy cooperative producing cheese, butter, milk, and dairy ingredients globally. Comparable as a large-scale cooperative-structured dairy player, though with broader geographic and category reach than Virgilio.
• Egidio Galbani (Lactalis brand): Historic Italian cheese and dairy brand owned by Lactalis, producing fresh cheeses, hard cheeses, and dairy products for retail and foodservice. Comparable as a leading Italian dairy brand with overlapping product categories and retail presence.

Regional players

• Consorzio Casalasco del Pomodoro / Casalasco (dairy): Italian agricultural cooperative with dairy activities serving the Lombardy/Po valley region. Comparable as a Lombardy-based agricultural consortium with dairy production, though primarily known for tomato processing.
• Casearia Sant'Anna / Latteria Monti Sardi: Smaller Italian dairy producers focused on DOP cheeses and traditional dairy in specific Italian regions. Comparable as Italian DOP-focused cheesemakers competing in similar retail and specialty cheese channels, though at smaller scale.

Market position

Strengths5 records

Weaknesses5 records

Competitive moat4 records

Key risks6 records

Key highlights6 records

Customer concentration

• Xx.com/consvirgilio
• YouTubeyoutube.com/user/lacremeriaitaliana
• Facebookfacebook.com/consorziovirgilio
• LinkedInlinkedin.com/company/consorzio-latterie-virgilio
• Instagraminstagram.com/lacremeriaitaliana

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Subsidiaries2 records

Funding overview

Funding rounds

Investors

Funding detail is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →

M&A

Investments

M&A and investment is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →

Frequently asked questions about Virgilio Dairy Consortium