Italian Cheese Buying Guide UK: Mozzarella, Burrata, Gorgonzola & More
Compare Italian cheese for pizza, pasta, antipasti, cheese boards and professional menus. Learn the differences between mozzarella, burrata, Gorgonzola, Scamorza, ricotta and Parmigiano Reggiano, and choose the right cheese for the way you plan to serve it.
Italian cheese is a family of very different styles
Fresh mozzarella, creamy burrata, blue-veined Gorgonzola, smoked Scamorza, soft ricotta and mature hard cheeses all have different textures, flavours and culinary roles. The best choice depends on whether you need a cheese for melting, grating, filling, serving fresh or building an antipasti board.
Mozzarella
Fresh and mild, with excellent melting potential across pizza, pasta bakes, panini and Italian-style dishes.
Browse MozzarellaBurrata
A delicate mozzarella shell filled with creamy stracciatella, ideal for antipasti, salads, bread and premium starters.
View Burrata di PugliaGorgonzola
Italian blue cheese available in milder and stronger styles for boards, sauces, risotto and cooking.
Browse GorgonzolaParmigiano Reggiano
A mature hard cheese for grating, shaving, pasta, risotto, salads and cheeseboards.
View Parmigiano ReggianoItalian cheese buying guide
Use the sections below to compare Italian cheese by texture, flavour and cooking application.
Mozzarella for pizza, pasta, panini & fresh dishes
Mozzarella is one of the most versatile Italian cheeses, but the format matters.
Nicol Retailer’s current Italian Cheese range includes fiordilatte julienne, buffalo mozzarella, bocconcini and mozzarella loaf formats.
For high-volume pizza production, pre-cut fiordilatte can be practical. For antipasti, salads and plated dishes, whole buffalo mozzarella or bocconcini may be more appropriate.
- Pizza
- Lasagne
- Pasta bakes
- Panini
- Caprese-style salads
- Antipasti
- Garlic bread
- Professional pizza kitchens
Fiordilatte mozzarella for pizza kitchens
Fiordilatte is a cow’s-milk mozzarella commonly used for pizza and baked Italian dishes.
Nicol Retailer currently lists Fresh Latteria Sorrentina Fiordilatte Julienne 3kg, a pre-cut format designed for even melting and convenient professional preparation.
Professional buying tip: pre-cut mozzarella can reduce preparation time where pizza is produced frequently, but pack size should still match realistic weekly usage.
Burrata for antipasti, salads & elegant starters
Burrata combines a mozzarella exterior with a rich, creamy stracciatella filling.
Nicol Retailer currently lists Burrata di Puglia in eight individually portioned 125g servings, making it suitable for plated starters, sharing dishes and restaurant-style entertaining.
Its delicate texture is best suited to dishes where the cheese itself remains a central ingredient rather than being heavily cooked.
- Fresh tomatoes
- Basil
- Olive oil
- Roasted vegetables
- Figs
- Peaches
- Prosciutto
- Artisan bread
Gorgonzola: mild or stronger Italian blue cheese
Gorgonzola is an Italian blue cheese with a creamy texture and distinctive blue veining.
The Nicol Retailer range currently includes both mild and piccante Gorgonzola, allowing you to choose between a gentler blue-cheese profile and a stronger, more assertive style.
Milder Gorgonzola can work well in creamy sauces, risotto, salads and cheeseboards, while a stronger style can provide more impact in dishes where the cheese needs to stand out.
Board-building tip: if Gorgonzola is the strongest cheese on your board, balance it with milder fresh or hard cheeses rather than several other intense blue cheeses.
Smoked Scamorza for grilling, pizza & baked dishes
Scamorza is a firmer Italian cheese related to mozzarella and can be especially useful when you want a cheese that melts well but also brings a more distinctive flavour.
Nicol Retailer currently lists Granarolo Smoked Scamorza 1kg, a naturally smoked cheese with a mild, creamy profile and subtle smoky finish.
Its firmer texture makes it suitable for grilling, baking, pizza, panini and pasta dishes.
- Pizza
- Calzone
- Pasta bakes
- Lasagne
- Panini
- Toasties
- Grilling
- Cheese boards
Ricotta for pasta fillings, lasagne, baking & desserts
Ricotta has a soft, mild and creamy texture that makes it useful in both savoury and sweet cooking.
Nicol Retailer currently lists Elda Ricotta Cheese 1.5kg, a larger tub suitable for home kitchens and professional preparation.
It can be used for lasagne, cannelloni, filled pasta, cheesecakes, cakes and spreadable preparations.
Versatility: ricotta is particularly useful where you want creaminess without the stronger flavour of an aged or blue cheese.
Parmigiano Reggiano for grating, shaving & finishing
Mature hard Italian cheese adds concentrated savoury flavour without needing a large quantity.
Nicol Retailer currently lists Parmigiano Reggiano in both wedge and ready-grated formats, alongside Grana Padano and other hard Italian cheese products.
A wedge offers flexibility for shaving, grating and serving in chunks, while a grated product can be more convenient for regular kitchen use.
- Pasta
- Risotto
- Soups
- Salads
- Roasted vegetables
- Cheese boards
- Antipasti
- Professional finishing
How to choose the right Italian cheese
Start with the dish or serving occasion, then choose the cheese according to texture, flavour and how it needs to perform.
Which Italian cheese should you use?
There is no single “best” Italian cheese. The best option depends on the finished dish and the result you want.
Mozzarella & Fiordilatte
Choose for melting, stretch and a mild dairy flavour.
Burrata & Fresh Mozzarella
Serve fresh with tomatoes, olive oil, bread and cured meats.
Ricotta & Parmigiano
Use ricotta for fillings and hard cheese for grating and finishing.
Parmigiano & Gorgonzola
Use hard cheese for savoury depth or Gorgonzola for a richer blue-cheese style.
Smoked Scamorza
Its firmer, meltable texture works well for grilling and hot sandwiches.
Mix Several Styles
Combine fresh, hard, blue and smoked cheese for contrast.
Italian cheese for restaurants, pizzerias & catering
Professional kitchens often need larger cheese formats than a typical household.
The current Nicol Retailer range includes 3kg fiordilatte, 1kg Scamorza, 1.5kg ricotta, large Gorgonzola portions and approximately 1kg Parmigiano Reggiano wedges.
Choose pack sizes around actual menu demand, available chilled storage and realistic turnover.
- Pizzerias
- Italian restaurants
- Cafés
- Hotels
- Caterers
- Event kitchens
- Delis
- Professional chefs
Storage & allergen considerations
Italian cheeses vary significantly in moisture, format and storage requirements. Follow the storage instructions on the individual product and packaging supplied.
Fresh cheeses such as burrata, mozzarella and ricotta should be treated differently from mature hard cheeses.
The Italian cheeses discussed on this page are dairy products and current product information declares milk as an allergen. Always check the current individual product label before serving.
Important: do not assume all Italian cheeses have the same ingredients, dietary suitability or allergen statements. Check each product individually, especially where dietary restrictions apply.
For wider guidance, visit Ingredients, Allergens & Dietary Information .
Explore more delicatessen food
This guide focuses specifically on choosing Italian cheese.
For the complete delicatessen range, including speciality cheese, cured meats and smoked salmon, visit Delicatessen Online UK .
You can also shop the live Italian Cheese category directly.
Italian cheese FAQs
Common questions about choosing and using Italian cheese.
What Italian cheese is best for pizza?
Mozzarella and fiordilatte are common choices where you want good melt, stretch and a mild dairy flavour. The exact format depends on your recipe and production method.
What is the difference between burrata and mozzarella?
Mozzarella has a more uniform cheese texture, while burrata has a mozzarella exterior filled with creamy stracciatella, giving it a much softer, richer centre.
What is Gorgonzola used for?
Gorgonzola can be served on cheese boards or used in pasta sauces, risotto, salads, pizza and other savoury dishes.
What is smoked Scamorza used for?
Smoked Scamorza works well for pizza, grilling, panini, pasta bakes and dishes where a mild smoky flavour is desirable.
What is ricotta best used for?
Ricotta is useful for lasagne, filled pasta, cannelloni, cheesecake, cakes and both sweet and savoury fillings.
What is Parmigiano Reggiano used for?
Parmigiano Reggiano can be grated over pasta, stirred into risotto, shaved over salads or served in pieces as part of a cheese board.
Can I buy Italian cheese in larger catering formats?
Yes. Nicol Retailer currently lists larger formats including 3kg fiordilatte, 1kg Scamorza, 1.5kg ricotta and larger hard and blue-cheese portions.
Where can I buy Italian cheese online?
Browse Nicol Retailer’s Italian Cheese category for the current range.
Where can I find other speciality cheese?
Visit Nicol Retailer’s Speciality Cheese category for a wider cheese selection.