Our family business celebrates its 70th anniversary this year, in 2023. Today, we share with you the beautiful story of Roma Foods; from its beginning in Montreal’s Little Italy to its current success across all Canada.
The story of Roma Foods begins in 1952, when the founder, Pasquale Ramacieri Sr., who was a vendor and distributor of charcuteries in Montreal at the time, started making his own products in his spare time. Since his clients were mostly pizzerias, he noticed a strong demand for cooked pepperoni and decided to make some himself instead of importing dry pepperoni from the United States. At the same time, he also creates the first mortadella made in Quebec!
Pasquale’s charcuteries quickly become popular, so much so that the next year, in 1953, he starts his business: Roma Foods. With chef Luigi, who will be his business partner for 15 years, he opens a first factory on Marconi Street in Little Italy, becoming a pioneer of Italian charcuterie manufacturing in Quebec.
In the 1960s, the popularity of the Caserta pepperoni skyrocketed thanks to tastings offered in Steinberg, a renowned supermarket chain in Quebec in the ’60s, ’70s and ’80s. In 1965, Roma Foods moves to a new factory and its workforce grows considerably, reaching 40 employees in 1970.
Today, the business employs over 200 workers. It proudly produces and imports an always wider variety of charcuteries, from its famous original mortadella to its dried salamis and delicious range of Italian sausages that are loved everywhere in the province. In addition, Roma Foods’ pepperoni is the top seller in Canada! Made with local pork, more than 90% of the Roma Foods products are made in Quebec and half of them are certified Aliments du Québec, the rest of the ingredients being imported directly from Italy.
