Our Story

Friends! We are the brothers Mircea and David Todoran, and ever since we’ve known each other, we’ve been dedicated to bringing you the pure, unadulterated taste of Romanian dairy products.

What we do, our products, the way we manufacture them, everything that means “dairy product from Ibănești” is somehow outside the general term “milk product”.

Yes, we’re aware that nowadays everyone talks about the “100% Romanian product,” boasting milk sourced from the farm just over the hill, processed “according to a recipe passed down from the great-grandmother on the father’s side.”

We’ve been discussing this since 1994 when we opened our cheese factory in Ibănești. But we don’t just talk; we act. We source milk for our products solely from the Gurghiu Valley, from farmers who graze their animals on pastures so remarkable they’re worth seeing rather than just talking about.

However, don’t just take our word for it. Visit any Auchan or Mega store, look for us in smaller, local shops, and if you’re lucky, you’ll find our products (if not, we’ll somehow create that luck for you).

Taste the Telemeaua de Ibănești. Or the sour cream. Or the cheese. Or, why not, the Urda de Ibănești.

Try any Ibănești product.

And if you don’t like it, we’ll refund your money.

Our story is long and full of ups and downs, and it hasn’t been easy.

We’ve had moments (and not just a few) when we wanted to give up. Because nothing is “easy,” and nothing is “normal.”

But despite all obstacles, we’ve managed to secure the European Union’s “Protected Designation of Origin” (PDO) certification for “Telemeaua de Ibănești” – THE ONLY Romanian product to be officially recognized at this level in Europe

Do you think it was awarded merely for our looks or stories?

The documentation exceeding 400 pages was not as easily digested as a slice of Ibănești cheese on the table in Brussels.

Where does the uniqueness of our products come from?

From hard work, from hundreds of sleepless nights, from the passion with which we and our team craft our products. And from a few secrets Mother Nature has allowed us to use to place this mountain of taste on your table.

Did you know, for instance, that we don’t just use any salt?

We utilize salt from the Orșova spring, just as nature provides it.

We’re not the pioneers of this practice.

For hundreds of years, the people of the Gurghiu Valley have been salting their cheese, pickling their cucumbers, and seasoning their soups with this brine, just as the land offers it.

There’s much more to tell.

And if you’re eager to taste our stories, come visit us. We’ll provide a warm bed, a sip of pălinca, and a hearty meal.

But before you think it’s all for naught, go to the store, grab a tub of 35% fat cream (the only one in Romania), and give it a try.

Don’t use a plastic spoon, it might break. Use a wooden spoon instead. If you have a piece of fresh bread, even better.

Let it linger on your taste buds, let it flow through your veins, let it make you crave more after just 5 seconds.

And then, if there’s anything left to say, we’ll share it over stories at Ibănești.

Stay healthy and enjoy your meal.

God bless!