Bonat, Giorgio Bonati's farm and its excellent Parmigiano

Montechiarugolo, a municipality in Parma with just over ten thousand inhabitants, hosts within its historic territory the Agricultural Company Bonat, in the district of Basilicanova: here, in a large green area designated for grazing, around one hundred dairy Friesian cows are raised, enjoying all the respect they need to produce the best raw material to be transformed into cheese according to the philosophy of the Bonat family.

Awarded by the Association of Chefs of Alta Etruria during the I Crudi d'Italia competition reserved for raw milk dairy products, the Parmigiano 28 months from the company won first place among nearly two hundred competitors in 2019, while on October 2, 2021, it was the Parmigiano Reggiano Gran Riserva 5 years that received the same recognition (for the “Grand Old” section): this delicious DOP stood out during the selection by obtaining the favor of the jury and that of consumers.

A combination with starred cuisine

Since its founding, the goal of Giorgio and Gianluca Bonati's company has been to encapsulate the flavor of a fertile territory – chosen for millennia as a cradle of life – in a dairy product sustainable, healthy, enjoyable for the palate, which today is appreciated both throughout Italy and abroad.

Re-entered multiple times into the “Paniere d'Italia,” a project for enhancing the Italian agri-food basin that started in 2018, the Parmigiano Bonat does not fear borders: neither those of aging nor those between states. A notable result was achieved by a specific wheel of Parmigiano aged for 18 years: 33 kg sent to Canada with media honors, then divided into eighths sold in Vancouver, Calgary, Edmonton, Kelowna at a price of 260 €/kg.

Among the local restaurants that welcome Bonat products, we find Enoteca Pinchiorri in Florence, the Four Seasons, and “Il Luogo di Aimo e Nadia” in Milan, Hotel Ambasciatori in Rome, the restaurant of the Metropol in Venice, and also San Domenico in Imola, Uliassi in Senigallia, Ora d'Aria and Tempestini in Prato. A list that certainly does not end here.

Passion, the secret of success

As evidenced by FIC, Alma Caseus (awards in 2012 and 2016), Gambero Rosso, and every satisfied consumer of the Parmigiano Reggiano Bonat, this small company in Montechiarugolo knows how to surprise with the level of quality achieved over the years: Gianluca Bonati started by selling his cheese door-to-door, walking the streets of Milan to leave samples of Parmigiano at every restaurant, explaining the story of that product made with a closed supply chain, from forage to aging.

With word-of-mouth, the clientele has increased and continues to grow, including Enoteca Consonni, Boeucc, the small bar “Al Baglioni,” just to name a few in Milan. All production of 2,800 wheels per year is sold, with a preference for aging that focuses on Parmigiano with at least 3 years of aging: suitable even for those who are lactose intolerant, “the Bonat” ages for a minimum of 24 months, often going well beyond this limit… And beyond the expectations of anyone who tastes it.