"Hi, my name is Mario. I was born in Vienna to an Italian father and an Austrian mother. From 6 months old, I was brought up by the sea in Sardinia. My Papa is a fisherman who has always encouraged my love of good fresh produce.
Having worked in catering both by the coast and in the Italian mountains, ready for a change, I moved to Yorkshire in 2001. The original purpose was to learn the English language. However, having met my partner, Sonia and finding I loved Gods Own County, I never went home! I saw an opportunity to start my own business, selling homemade Italian produce at Leeds Farmers Markets. This gradually expanded to include more produce at several farmer's markets. I have always been a firm believer that if you put your heart and soul into the food you produce, it really does show in the end product. I am really proud of the various cheeses we produce and honestly believe they are some of the best you can get.
At Yorkshire Pecorino, we are a small-scale, award-winning artisan cheese maker. You will not find us in your large supermarkets. We genuinely want our focus and dedication to be on each of our cheeses, made to perfection individually, where quality does come first. I get up at around 3am daily to make the cheese in small batches. Each cheese is Individually moulded and cared for until they are ready to be enjoyed. Nothing is rushed. I ensure we only use the very best ingredients, where possible, sourced as locally to our Leeds dairy as possible. I hand pick the supplier of our Ewes milk to ensure that they feel as strongly about the welfare and wellbeing of the animals as I do. If the Ewes are well cared for, it shows in the quality of the milk, which in turn ensures the cheese I can supply to you is as good as it can be.
I am passionate about what I do, which is why I don't see this as a job or work. I am as enthusiastic today as I was when I started making my cheeses. "