Passione
1 family, 2 continents, 4 generations
Milk Memory
The reinstatement of the Pitruzzello family legacy of master cheese-makers began after work in the family shed in Melbourne. Every night Sebastiano would vanish into the shed, refining his craft of cheese-making using all his knowledge passed down from generation to generation in Sortino.
After years of trial and error, applying decades of family tradition and adapting the family craft to local produce - the newly refined range of traditional Pantalica cheeses was reborn.
pioneered prosperity
To sell cheese in a new land, a license was needed, a near-impossible feat at the time. Sebastiano fought tirelessly to get a producers license, going door-to-door gathering signatures from Italian shops. The Dairy Product Board rejected most applications. The cheeses he longed to create—mozzarella bella, pepato, bocconcini, mascarpone — didn't exist on their applications list.
After years of perserverance and planning Sebastiano finally got his license. The factory opened whilst Lucia was still in hospital after giving birth to twins. Soon after when the children were old enough they began helping after school learning the Pitruzzello craft.
a legacy restored
The Pitruzzello family legacy and tradition after years of passion and promise was once again restored. In a quiet Melbourne suburb, far from the fileds of Pantalica and sun-drenched hills of Sortino, the soul of Sicilian cheese-making stirred once more.
What began as a memory—a scent, a taste, a tradition passed down through four generations—was reborn under the name Pantalica. Now one of Australia’s leading dairy producers, Pantalica is still the same family business it was hundreds of years ago - just under a new name that pays homage to the lives, craft and traditions of ancestors from the region.
hand-crafted
It wasn't just the cheese that was hand-crafted, Sebastiano also built the Pantalica factory himself with his bare hands and fierce heart. From 400 tubs to 12,000 of ricotta a week, from 400 jars to 50,000 of cream cheese a day, the factory grew and grew to a symphony of milk, memories and Sicilian soul. In 2000-01, two more factories rose.
Today two flags fly above the factory—Australia’s and Sicily’s—honouring origin, journey and destination. Each cheese, each stir of the vat, is a tribute to heritage, family, and the bold heart of a man who dared to bring the past to new pastures far away.
curd & evolve
Back in Sortino, Sebastiano and his father made 10kg a day for their village. Today Pantalica makes tonnes of cheese everyday. Cheesemaking is not easy. Transplanting tradition to foreign soil took years of tasting, testing, and trusting—to dip a finger into curd and feel what only generations could teach.
But it started again, from nothing—a shed, a gas pot, and four years of quiet devotion, evenings and weekends wrapped in the scent of steam and curd. Driving through suburbs in his van, offering a taste of something ancient, something true. Today the name Pantalica is not just a brand - it’s family, land and legacy. The name once chosen by Sebastiano and his father many years before is now a part of history and one of the worlds most trusted brands.
