Loblaw cuts cheese in record-setting effort

More than 360 select Loblaw banner stores across Canada nabbed the world record for the most wheels of Parmigiano Reggiano cheese cracked simultaneously, as declared by a Guinness World Records adjudicator. Officially, 1,008 wheels were cracked in more than 360 Loblaw banner stores simultaneously across Canada.



Parmigiano Reggiano is a hard Italian cheese produced in the provinces of Parma, Reggio Emilia, Modena or Bologna, using the same recipe for almost 1,000 years. It takes 11 steps to crack a 34-kilogram cheese wheel in the traditional style and requires special cheese cracking knives and training.



"Today was a memorable day for Loblaw and our colleagues. It was an overwhelming experience to celebrate this achievement with our customers and store teams at more than 360 stores; we couldn't have done it without them," said Metzi Liau, senior category director, Loblaw Companies. "Our colleagues were specially trained to crack the wheels in the traditional style upheld by Italy's Parmigiano Reggiano Cheese Consortium, and we are thrilled to have achieved this world record."

At the Loblaws at Maple Leaf Gardens in Toronto, Loblaws Angus in Montreal, Provigo Le Marché in Charlesbourg, Loblaws CityMarket in North Vancouver and Atlantic Superstore in Dartmouth locations, representatives from Mulino, Pargmigiano Reggiano maker were in attendance.



In Toronto, a member of the Parmigiano Reggiano Cheese Consortium and Guinness World Records adjudicator looked on as colleagues and customers cheered cheese-crackers to victory. Using special cheese-cracking knives, each of the 34-kilogram wheels were cracked and customers sampled the freshly cracked cheese.



"It is exciting for us to witness Loblaw earn the title of Guinness World Records holder for the most wheels of Parmigiano Reggiano cheese broken simultaneously; we take great pride in the production and quality of this cheese," said Stefano Greiner, Mulino Alimentare export manager. "Parmigiano Reggiano is one of the most carefully produced and thoroughly enjoyed cheeses in the world. For centuries, it has been considered the 'king of cheese' for its incredible taste and crystalline texture.



The Consortium is the group of dairy producers and cheese makers designated to preserve the integrity and quality of each wheel of Parmigiano Reggiano created. It is officially assigned to the task of adhering to the specifications outlined by the PDO (Protected Designation of Origin), when inspecting each wheel of Parmigiano-Reggiano.