Our Story
Our story begins with Beniamino Gigliotti, an Italian immigrant born in Platania, Catanzaro located in the Western Calabria region of Italy. With only the change in their pockets, him and his wife Maria moved to Canada in the early 1960s and set their roots in Niagara Falls, Ontario.
His passions were in the simplicity of his Italian heritage, food, and culture. He loved to raise and care for animals, grow numerous vegetables and fruits in his large garden, make wine, cheese, preserves, and of course come the season, craft his very own sausage and cured meats. He kept the traditions of his forefathers alive by passing down the sentimental values and traditions of making and preserving his own food.
After spending his life in Canada raising four children and taking care of his family, land, and livestock, Beniamino passed away at a young age on February 1st, 2004 while his grandchildren were still young. Nevertheless, he instilled a passion in those around him, and there was a strong desire to keep his traditions and memories alive.
Robbie, his third eldest grandchild was involved in the region’s culinary scene and throughout the years he learned, practiced, and mastered the art of salumi making just as Beniamino taught him. In 2019, Beniamino Meats was created to honour Robbie’s grandfather and to pay homage to the art of meat preservation and curing, which is slowly becoming a lost art-form through the generations.
Beniamino Meats is based in Niagara, Canada and produces the highest quality cured meats, certified by the Ontario Ministry of Agriculture Food and Rural Affairs. We only use 100% Ontario Pork and all of our hand-crafted products are gluten, soy, and dairy-free.
We pride ourselves in carrying on Beniamino’s legacy with our authentic recipes, and strive to share the time-honoured traditions of Calabria with our customers around the province and beyond.