See what’s cooking at Pizza Expo® 2024

The International Pizza Expo and Conference is set for March 19 – 21, 2024, and Galbani cheese will be there with a commanding presence.

“We always look forward to seeing our customers and friends at Pizza Expo, and this year, we’re expecting an excellent turnout,” said Gary Kolling, Director of Marketing for the Galbani brand. “Not only do we have a strong showing of participants on the Galbani Pro Team, but we also get to showcase two new products: our improved Galbani Thin Sliced Fresh Mozzarella and Cracker Barrel Premium Cheddar. We really can’t wait to share how these new additions can complement our customers’ menus.”

Once again, the professionals at the Galbani booth will be serving up something for everyone. Find us on the tradeshow floor for events, samples, giveaways, live cooking demonstrations, and more. You won’t want to miss:

Live demos with industry experts
Get up close with our brand ambassadors and see for yourself why they’re the experts in their craft. It’s all happening Tuesday and Wednesday, and includes live demos by:

•  Carmine and Michael Testa, Jersey Pizza Boys & Carmine’s Pizza Factory
•  Donatella Arpaia, Prova Pizzabar & NOMA Beach at Redfish
•  Derrick Tung, Paulie Gee’s Chicago
•  Jamie Culliton, The NONA Slice House
•  John Arena, Metro Pizza

Giveaways and activities that will have your vote
If you’re looking for a shirt that will unite all parties, head to Booth #3149 to grab yours. We’re giving away free Galbani and Cracker Barrel t-shirts after each live demo on Tuesday and Wednesday. Plus, award-winning dough-throwers Jamie Culliton and his team of world-renowned pizza acrobats will be slinging and spinning at 12:30 pm Tuesday and noon Wednesday. Don’t miss them!

Samples of cheesy goodness
Come hungry to Booth #3149, as Executive Chef John Reed will be preparing various delicious delights all week. While you enjoy his culinary creations, be sure to ask for a sample of our hottest products. Try our newest sister brand, Cracker Barrel Premium Cheddar, available to foodservice professionals for the first time! Plus, you can see—and taste—why our new and improved Thin Sliced Fresh Mozzarella really measures up.

A Pro Team takeover
It’s a record-breaking year for the Galbani Pro Team, where nearly 100 pizzaioli from around the world will don their blue chef coats on the competition floor. These fierce competitors will take on the best of the best during the International Pizza Challenge™. Participants will vie for top honors in various categories, including Traditional, Non-Traditional, Neapolitan/STG, Pan, and the newly added World’s Best Cheese Slice. The fun continues to stack up on Thursday at the Galbani cheese-sponsored International Italian Sandwich Championship™. Come out and cheer on the “Band of Blue!”

We had a grate time at Pizza Expo 2023

It was the biggest International Pizza Expo^® in history this year, as the best pizzamakers in the world came to Las Vegas to show what they’re capable of. It was also one for the books for the Galbani Pro Team, as a record-breaking 58 pizzaioli joined the Band of Blue.

The crowd came hungry and left satisfied this year, especially at the Galbani booth. We inducted our newest brand ambassador, Jamie Culliton. We had live demos by Carmine and Michael Testa, Donatella Arpaia, Billy Manzo, Lenny Rago, Ali Hader, Chris Decker, and John Arena. Our chefs made and served countless pizzas and handed out samples to passersby. We gave away some of our coveted tee-shirts. And the award-winning pizza acrobats from The NONA Slice House put on quite a show. Plus, over in the competition area, the Galbani-sponsored International Italian Sandwich Competition™ (IISC) piled on the action and the deliciousness.

Our chef coats could be seen all over the convention floor and at the top of the winners’ lists of both the International Pizza Challenge™ (IPC) and the IISC!

 

Galbani^® Pro Team Winners

IPC Traditional Division

Bill Cornell, Carmines Wood Fired Pizza

IPC Non-Traditional Division

Ian Foster, Righteous Slice

IPC Pan Division

Josephine Afshar, Oleys Pepperoni Cannoli

IPC Neapolitan/STG

Eddie Dawson, Palo Mesa Pizza

IISC

Ismaele Romano, Ellis Island Casino, Hotel & Brewery

 

International Pizza Challenge™ Divisional Winner

Traditional Division

2nd Place: Bill Cornell, Carmines Wood Fired Pizza

 

International Pizza Challenge™ Regional Winners

Traditional Division, Midwest Region

2nd Place: Bill Cornell, Carmines Wood Fired Pizza
3rd Place: David Sommers, Mad Mushroom

Traditional Division, Northeast Region

3rd Place: Rico Lunardi, Slice On Broadway

Traditional Division, Southeast Region

3rd Place: Kevin Knott, Sliceadelic

Traditional Division, Northwest Region

3rd Place: Pete Miceli, Bit Of Italyitaliantogo

Traditional Division, International

1st Place: Wilhelm Rodriguez, Papas Pizza

 

International Pizza Challenge™ Divisional Winners

Non-Traditional Division, International

3rd Place: Frederico Tomé, Italian Bakery House

Non-Traditional Division, Northwest Region

1st Place: Ian Foster, Righteous Slice
3rd Place: David Solum, Danger Von Dempsey’s Pizzeria & Brewhäus

 

World Pizza Games

First Division Freestyle Acrobatics

2nd Place: Michael Testa, Carmine’s Pizza Factory

Master’s Division Freestyle Acrobatics

3rd Place: Mckenna Carney, The NONA Slice House

 

Congratulations to all of our winners!

The Galbani® brand celebrates its 140th anniversary

It all began in 1882, in a small town in the Italian Alps, when Egidio Galbani and his father Davide created their first cheese called Robiola. The rest, as they say, is history! Today, the Galbani brand proudly celebrates 140 years as a leader in the cheese industry.

“There aren’t many brands that are fortunate enough to reach this milestone,” said Gary Kolling, Director of Marketing for the Galbani brand. “There are so many factors that go into creating a brand with lasting success. Galbani has a rich history, outstanding products, a dedicated internal team, and loyal customers who continue to choose the brand for its authenticity and quality. It’s a recipe for success that continues to stand the test of time.”

The Galbani brand now includes one of the largest Italian cheese portfolios in the industry, with cheeses (including those imported from Italy) sold in more than 140 countries. Galbani cheeses are also made here in the U.S., in a wide range of formats to keep chefs and pizza makers inspired.

To learn more about the history of the Galbani brand, click here.

It Was a Celebration to Remember at Pizza Expo 2022

The International Pizza Expo^® is always packed with unforgettable moments. But this year, it was more memorable than ever as the Galbani^® brand celebrated its 140th anniversary with the entire pizza industry. The Galbani Booth was sizzling from with world-class food sampling featuring the Galbani portfolio of cheeses. Attendees enjoyed live demonstrations by some of the best pizza makers in the business, including Donatella Arpaia from Prova Pizzabar, Carmine Testa from Carmine’s Pizza Factory and Jersey Pizza Boys, Chef Billy Manzo from Federal Hill Pizza, John Arena and Chris Decker from Metro Pizza, and Lee Hunzinger from PizzaLee33. Plus, the brand hosted a special induction ceremony to welcome Domenico Tolomeo to the Galbani family of brand ambassadors.

But perhaps the most monumental moment of the week happened on Tuesday afternoon as Italy’s #1 cheese brand hosted a party at the booth, celebrating 140 years as a leader in the Italian cheese category. Many of the industry’s most well-known faces could be seen at the event, including a special appearance by the CEO and President of Lactalis American Group, Jean-Luc Bruandet. Partygoers enjoyed performances from world-champion pizza acrobats Jamie Culliton and McKenna Carney and exciting giveaways, including anniversary cupcakes and special-edition t-shirts.

Beyond the booth, a sea of blue coats dazzled on the floor of the competition arena. More than 55 pizza makers joined the Galbani Pro Team this year to compete in both the International Pizza Challenge™ (IPC) and the International Italian Sandwich Championship™ (IISC). In addition to prizes awarded at the IPC and the IISC, the Galbani Pro Challenge awarded $500 in cash and cheese to the top Galbani Pro Team finishers in each of the four IPC divisions and to the top finisher in the IISC. Plus, several team members emerged as top finishers in their regions. Congratulations to all of the winners from Italy’s #1 cheese brand.

 

Galbani^® Professionale™ Challenge Winners

IPC Traditional Division

Sean Dempsey
Dempsey’s Brewery, Pub & Restaurant

IPC Non-Traditional Division

Leah Scurto
PizzaLeah

IPC Pan Division

Vittoria Trupiano
Mangia e Bevi

IPC Neapolitan/STG

Giovanni Labbate
Tievoli Pizza Bar

International Italian Sandwich Championship

David Solum
Dempsey’s Brewery, Pub & Restaurant

 

International Pizza Challenge™ Divisional Winner

Traditional Division

2nd Place: Sean Dempsey
Dempsey’s Brewery, Pub & Restaurant

 

International Pizza Challenge™ Regional Winners

Traditional Division, Northwest Region

1st Place: Sean Dempsey
Dempsey’s Brewery, Pub & Restaurant

2nd Place: Bill Crawford
Righteous Slice

3rd Place: Pasquale Di Maio
Righteous Slice

Traditional Division, Mid-America Region

1st Place: Ashley Vernon
Oley’s Pepperoni Cannoli

2nd Place: Michael Wolf
The Lamb & The Wolf

Traditional Division, Northeast Region

2nd Place: Michael Testa
Jersey Pizza Boys

Traditional Division, Southeast Region

2nd Place: Drew French
Your Pie

Non-Traditional Division, Northwest Region

3rd Place: Harry Galer
Righteous Slice

Non-Traditional Division, Southwest Region

3rd Place: Leah Scurto
PizzaLeah

 

World Pizza Games

Freestyle Acrobatics, Master’s Division

1st Place: Jamie Culliton
The Nona Slice House

Freestyle Acrobatics, First Division

1st Place: McKenna Carney
The Nona Slice House

3rd Place: Kevin Knott
The Nona Slice House

Celebrating a Pizza Expo® to Remember

It was perhaps the most anticipated pizza industry event in history. After almost two and a half years, the International Pizza Expo returned to the Las Vegas Convention Center from August 16-19 with all of the enthusiasm and excitement this world-class convention is famous for. The Galbani^® Booth #1131 was buzzing with foodservice professionals looking to reconnect with Italy’s #1 cheese brand. All week long, attendees enjoyed free samples of our best-selling cheeses as well as new products, like Galbani Thin Sliced Fresh Mozzarella and Président^® Feta. Plus, the booth sizzled with live food demonstrations by some of the best pizza makers in the business, including Celebrity Chef Donatella Arpaia from Prova Pizzabar, Chef Billy Manzo from Federal Hill Pizza, Lenny Rago from Panino’s Pizzeria, and John Arena and Chris Decker from Metro Pizza.

Beyond the booth, our blue coats were spotted in every corner of the competition arena. This year, more than 40 pizza makers joined the Galbani Pro Team to compete in The International Pizza Challenge^™ (IPC) and the International Italian Sandwich Championship, with several of our members emerging as top finishers. In addition to prizes awarded at the IPC, the Galbani Pro Challenge awarded $500 in cash and Galbani cheese to the top Galbani Pro Team finishers in each of the three IPC divisions: Traditional, Non-Traditional, and Pan. Congratulations to all our winners from Italy’s #1 cheese brand.

Galbani^® Professionale™ Challenge Winners

Traditional Division

David Solum
Dempsey’s Brewery, Pub & Restaurant

Non-Traditional Division

Ali Haider
786 Degrees Wood Fired Pizza

Pan Division

Jamie Culliton
The Nona Slice House

International Pizza Challenge™ Division Winner

Traditional Division

2nd Place: David Solum
Dempsey’s Brewery, Pub & Restaurant

International Pizza Challenge™ Regional Winners

Traditional Division, Northwest Region

1^st Place: David Solum
Dempsey’s Brewery, Pub & Restaurant

2^nd Place: Bill Crawford
Righteous Slice

Traditional Division, Mid-America Region

1^st Place: Giovanni Labbate
Billy Bricks

2^nd Place: Ali Afshar
Oley’s Pepperoni Cannoli

Non-Traditional Division, Southwest Region

2^nd Place: Ali Haider
786 Degrees Wood Fired Pizza

Non-Traditional Division, Northwest Region

2^nd Place: Colin Gesterling
Cascadia Pizza Co.

3^rd Place: Sean Dempsey
Dempsey’s Brewery, Pub & Restaurant

Non-Traditional Division, Southeast Region

3^rd Place: Joseph Streeter
The Nona Slice House

International Italian Sandwich Championship

1^st Place: Ismaele Romano
Ellis Island Hotel

3^rd Place: Massimo Mannino
Marabella’s Italian Restaurant

World Pizza Games

Acrobatics, Master’s Division

1^st Place: Jamie Culliton
The Nona Slice House

Fastest Dough

1^st Place: Joseph Streeter
The Nona Slice House

Stack Up the Savings with New Galbani® Thin Sliced Fresh Mozzarella

Italy’s #1 cheese brand is proud to launch a product designed to help pizza makers in these tough times. New Galbani Thin Sliced Fresh Mozzarella brings a pre-sliced option to the table with 24 slices of fior di latte Fresh Mozzarella in every log. And it was specially developed to melt beautifully on pizzas and sandwiches.

According to Roxanna Yunus, Galbani Senior Marketing Manager, “We are excited about this product because it takes the guesswork out of portions, and less cost per slice saves our customers more.”

With Galbani Thin Sliced Fresh Mozzarella, operators can top more sandwiches, pizzas, and appetizers than ever before. Plus, customers will enjoy the milky flavor and soft, stretchy texture of this all-natural Mozzarella, made from rBST-free* milk with no artificial preservatives or whiteners.

Disclaimer:

*No significant difference has been shown between milk derived from cows treated with artificial growth hormone and those not treated with growth hormone.

THE UNITED STATES PIZZA TEAM GETS COOKING AT GALBANI® HEADQUARTERS

Learning. Laughing. Creating. It was all on the table when the United States Pizza Team (USPT) visited the Galbani U.S. headquarters, July 8-12, in Buffalo, New York. The team from Galbani welcomed nine members of the USPT for a three-day seminar that included a tour of the state-of-the-art Galbani cheese plant; a roundtable discussion featuring an insider’s look at new trends in the pizza industry; and a day of exploration and experimentation inside the Galbani test kitchen; as well as a fun-filled trip to see Niagara Falls. Click here to watch video highlights

Attendees were comprised of some of the best pizza makers from across the country, including:

• Sean Dempsey,  Dempsey’s Brewery, Pub & Restaurant
• Giovanni Labbate, Billy Bricks Wood Fired Pizza Café
• Michael LaMarca, Master Pizza
• Gino Rago, Panino’s Pizzeria
• Lenny Rago, Panino’s Pizzeria
• Michael Stevens, Palo Mesa Pizza
• Leah Scurto, Pizza Maker
• Lars Smith, State of Mind Public House & Pizzeria
• Heather Zook, Sinfully Gluten Free

“The people at Galbani provided us with an incredible opportunity to learn more about their cheese and to grow as pizza makers in the process,” said Michael LaMarca, captain of the U.S Pizza Team. “With competition season just around the corner, it’s so important to learn about new ingredients, to share ideas, and to know that our opinions matter to the people who are creating the ingredients we use every day.”

Galbani is proud to be the Platinum Sponsor of the U.S. Pizza Team. Since its inception, the USPT has participated in a variety of competitions and events—both in the United States and internationally—that have help to further the pizza industry. This sponsorship is just one of the ways Italy’s #1 cheese brand continues to support pizzaioli across the globe.

Follow all the fun with GALBANI® PROFESSIONALE™ ON FACEBOOK & INSTAGRAM

With 3000+ followers on Facebook and Instagram, Galbani Professionale US provides the perfect platform for chefs, restaurateurs, and pizzaioli to share ideas, recipes, and their love for Italy’s #1 cheese brand. The Galbani Professionale US social media pages are proud to provide inspirational recipes, food trends, industry events, and product information throughout the week. Plus, we love to highlight and share news on pizzaioli from across the country who are using Galbani cheese and tagging us in their posts and photos.

Click on the links below to join the conversation:

• Like us on Facebook
• Follow us on Instagram

Don’t forget to tag @GalbaniProfessionaleUS in your Facebook and Instagram posts for a chance to be featured. We can’t wait to see you online!

The Galbani® Team brings home the dough at Pizza Expo®

It was hard to miss the waves of Galbani blue on display throughout the 2019 International Pizza Challenge™ (IPC) in Las Vegas. This year, Galbani Professionale™ had our largest team ever—consisting of 43 world-class pizzaioli from across the country, plus two representatives from Japan. Our pizza makers put their pies to the test, from March 5 – 7, at this prestigious competition held annually at Pizza Expo.

This year’s team competed successfully in every division of the IPC, with several of our team members emerging as top finishers in their divisions. In addition to prizes awarded at the IPC, the Galbani Pro Challenge awarded $250 in cash and $250 in Galbani cheese to the top Galbani Pro Team finishers in each of the five divisions: Traditional, Non-Traditional, Napoletana, Pan, and Roman. Congratulations to all of our winners from Italy’s #1 cheese brand.

GALBANI® PROFESSIONALE™ GOES PLATINUM WITH THE UNITED STATES PIZZA TEAM

Founded in 2000, the United States Pizza Team (USPT) has steadily gained recognition by grabbing its piece of the pie at pizza competitions across the country and around the world.

This year, Galbani Professionale is upping our game by becoming the Platinum Sponsor of this esteemed and active organization. As the “official cheese of the United States Pizza Team,” and the biggest corporate sponsor of the group, the Galbani brand will play a key role in keeping the USPT on top.

“To have our team use Galbani Professionale cheese is an incredible honor and advantage,” said PMQ CEO and Publisher Steve Green. “We greatly appreciate the support in bringing attention to the people and products that make pizza the world’s most beloved meal.”

Gary Kolling, Marketing Director of Lactalis Culinary, is excited about the opportunity to build this relationship. "Just like the USPT, our goal is to support pizzaioli in all of their creative and competitive endeavors—and to help elevate the pizza industry as a whole. We hope our Galbani Professionale cheese is a key factor in the success of the USPT and its members, this year and beyond."

Look for the Galbani brand, and our authentic line of Italian cheeses, at upcoming USPT events and competitions.

THE JERSEY PIZZA BOYS ADD A SLICE OF FUN TO THE GALBANI® CHEESE TEAM

They say big things come in small packages, and that couldn’t be truer on the pizza-spinning circuit. Michael and Nicholas Testa, better known as the “Jersey Pizza Boys,” have been spinning their way into the hearts of America for more than a year. They’ve been featured on shows like The Tonight Show starring Jimmy Fallon and Steve Harvey’s Little Big Shots—and have appeared in viral social media videos that have been seen by millions.

Now they’re hitting the road and traveling to pizza festivals, competitions, and other events across the country, as the newest brand ambassadors for Galbani^® Professionale™ cheese. We’re proud to have these pint-sized pizza prodigies creating a buzz on behalf of our brand. Look for them at Slice Out Hunger in NYC and spinning at the Galbani booth at the 2019 International Pizza Expo!

Click on the links below to see them spin:

• TODAY
• GMA Day
• The Tonight Show Starring Jimmy Fallon
• Little Big Shots