Marrickville-based Vannella Cheese becomes Major Partner of male Marronazzuri programs

APIA Leichhardt FC are delighted to welcome the iconic masters of cheesemaking, Vannella Cheese of Marrickville to its valued group of Major Partners from the 2025 season. The partnership sees the Vannella Cheese logo take centre-stage as the front-of-shirt sponsor of APIA’s Boys Youth League U15, U16 & U18 squads’ playing and training gear, as well as being a sleeve sponsor for our Senior Men’s Under 20s and First Grade sides right throughout the huge NPL Men’s New South Wales 2025 Season.

The Vannella Cheese story starts at the heel of the boot of Italy, Puglia, where Pina Vannella was born – wife of the company’s founder and head cheesemaker, Vito Minoia. Vito began his apprenticeship learning how to hand stretch curds for Burrata and Stracciatella, when everything was done by hand. Over the years he worked in some of Italy’s best cheese factories.

Vito soon returned to Conversano to marry Pina and eventually, their children Annarita and Giuseppe were born. In 2004, they moved to Australia – initially Cairns in Queensland, where they operated their cheese factory close to their cow and buffalo milk farms. The venture to Sydney soon came, ultimately bringing their cheese closer to where it is served!

Vannella Cheese has been operating out of our Inner West region since, and to this day the business remains a true family-run organisation, with Vito mentoring generations of cheesemakers to come. His son Giuseppe and granddaughter Martina now work alongside him in production each day, handcrafting a variety of fresh, stretched curd cheeses that sing the traditions of their birthplace.

Vannella took out Gold at the RAS NSW Cheese & Dairy Competition in 2023 and 2024 for their Burrata, Buffalo Bocconcini, Wood Smoked Buffalo Mozzarella, Stracciatella and Buffalo Yoghurt. They are also widely recognised as industry pioneers in Australia in introducing the ever-popular Burrata to dining tables around the country thanks to the Minoia family.

And just like that, Vito has now been a cheesemaker for over fifty years. It’s all he’s ever done, and he wouldn’t have it any other way!

Now, the Vannella story continues on the plates we make, as you serve the cheese to your family and friends, and as the next generation of talent in APIA’s ranks proudly don the company crest on its playing gear and in training.

To view more of Vannella Cheese’s story and of course their products, head to vannellacheese.com.au! 

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Article written by Jude “JayDee” Dolan

Images courtesy of Damian Briggs / Pitchside Media Solutions