After closing 2024 with strong results, the Italian dairy group, Sabelli, faced a particularly challenging 2025, marked by weaker domestic consumption and rising raw material costs, especially milk. Thanks to sustained investments in its industrial and commercial structure and to strategic acquisitions made in recent years, the group managed market cyclicality and is set to close the year with revenue up 10%.
Exports and private labels confirmed themselves as key growth drivers. Looking ahead, prospects for 2026 are positive, with strengthened exports in Europe, a planned entry into the United States, and new product lines for Far East markets. The Marche-based family-owned group, now in its fourth generation, is a benchmark in mozzarella and fresh cheese production and represents a solid industrial model.
STRONG EXPECTATIONS FOR 2026
In 2024, Sabelli posted a very positive performance, with revenue growth driven by both organic development and the acquisition of the Stella Bianca dairy. Exports recorded a +25% increase.
At mid-2025, group revenue reached €170 million, €70 million of which came from mozzarella alone. The forecast is to close the year at €360 million, also thanks to a strong export performance, up 15%.
“After getting through this difficult year, we have very positive expectations for 2026,” said Angelo Galeati and Simone Mariani, CEOs of Sabelli Group. “We will continue to invest to strengthen our industrial and commercial structure, with the goals of sustainable growth and greater resilience to market fluctuations. Acquisitions remain a strategic tool to increase scale and improve our ability to absorb sector shocks.”
EXPORT AS A GROWTH ENGINE
International markets are a major growth driver for Sabelli. In 2024, exports reached €50 million and continued to grow in 2025. The best performances came from Europe, particularly France, Germany, the UK, and Northern European countries. Demand in Ukraine remained stable despite the ongoing war.
Some markets have proven less competitive, such as Germany, which—despite lower production costs—continues to import significant volumes of Italian products, confirming strong perceived quality and steady demand for Made in Italy.
This reputation is also key to Sabelli’s expansion into the United States. The group began its US path in 2025 by participating in the Fancy Food Show in New York. The American market is particularly attractive for burrata, pizza mozzarella, and fiordilatte. Despite domestic production, Italian products are highly appreciated for their quality and authenticity. The application of 15% tariffs on European dairy products has not slowed expansion plans, and from 2026, the group aims to build new partnerships to establish a strategic development axis in the US.
Investments in exports also extend to the Far East, with the launch of new frozen references. The new Sabelli-branded range, produced with a freezing process that preserves quality, includes mozzarella as well as traditional specialties such as stracciatella, burrata, and truffle burrata.
“High-quality Made in Italy products will be a decisive competitive advantage in the coming years, even in the most mature markets,” Galeati and Mariani added. “That is why we look ahead with confidence, supported by a solid and diversified model and a strong internationalization vision.”
SABELLI GROUP PROFILE
Today, Sabelli Group operates six production sites and nine distribution platforms, and employs around 1,000 people. Mozzarella remains the core of the portfolio, accounting for about 60% of total production value across retail and Horeca. Burrata and stracciatella follow with 15%, showing the fastest growth rates and higher margins, alongside a similar share of stracchino, robiola, and other fresh cheeses. Burrata has become the group’s iconic product, embodying artisanal know-how, high-quality raw materials and the contemporary taste that defines the Sabelli identity.