THE CRAFT OF SALUMI

SALUMI MAKER

Hi. I’m Ben. I own a bacon factory and I LOVE making sausages. It brings me great joy that I ‘make the bacon’ by making the bacon. I get to spend my days handmaking small-batch artisan smoked meats and sausages using traditional salumi methods to share with our delightful customers.

La Villa Salumi was born from a natural curiosity for the craft of salumi, the gift of a little smoker from my Mother-In-Law and wanting more than the same bland mass-produced bacon from the shops. I began experimenting with sausages, ham, bacon (even trying pumpkin, which was not a winner).

My home-style salumi skills were refined by the side of my old Italian neighbour, Albert, who encouraged my passion for pork and all things meat, and so I made a pilgrimage to Italy to hone my skills with the masters.

It was in Tuscany that I completed my Advanced Salumi course, and took the opportunity to learn from the porcine master Dario Cecchini in Chianti. My time in Italy taught me that preserving meat is no more or less important than preserving tradition. There are only a very few rules that must be followed, though there are myriad versions of the same recipe to be found.

SO, WHAT IS
THE DIFFERENCE BETWEEN SALUMI AND SALAMI?

Well, salumi is the craft of preserving, salting and cuing meat, whilst salami is just one type of sausage. So, salami can be salumi, but salumi can never be salami.

MEAT THE
MEAT MAN

I believe less is more. Take good produce and do as little as possible to it. I will never grow tired of trying and discussing new ways to preserve meats and improve flavours. Artisan food is all about getting back to food that is prepared with fresh, natural ingredients, and knowing how and by whom it is made. With my lovely wife, Anna, doing the clever parts of running a small business, I live out my dream of making the tastiest traditional artisan salumi.

On weekends, you’ll find either or both of us at the best farmers markets in Melbourne – we’d love to meat you. For me, nothing feels as good as your customers coming back for more, time and time again.