Famous for their poultry originally, the family has always made their own cheese, guided by nonna Giovanna, as was traditional for Italian subsistence farmers. Later on, Matteo (current managing director Mauro’s father), would go to Cape Town to deliver fresh eggs to the local Italian, Greek and Portuguese immigrant communities. It soon became evident that there was a great demand for cheese. No one else in South Africa was making authentic Italian cheese and the Delle Donne products gave these communities a welcome taste of home. Word soon spread and Zandam Italian Cheese’s customer base grew. In fact, the cheese became so sought after, that the family decided to focus exclusively on the cheesery from the late 1970s onwards.

Mauro Delle Donne, the current owner of Zandam Italian Cheese, is a cheesemaker at heart. Having spent many years in the cheesery, learning from his mother Iolanda, Mauro still regularly travels to Italy to ensure that Zandam cheese remains authentically Italian in every sense. Zandam Italian cheese is also proudly South African. A strong South African influence inspired the family cheesemaking through the loving and skilful mentorship of family friend Ken Borchards, a pioneer in the cheese industry.