Hi, South African Cheese Fans
Vernon Manuel, previously from Fairview is now working at Porto Bello, RFF Foods, in Drakenstein, Western Cape.
They are doing a great range of white mold cheeses as well as mozzarella.
Regards,
Leon the Milkman
Cheese - Dairy - Milk - Yoghurt - South Africa
Kaas - Suiwel - Melk - Jogurt - Suid Afrika
Hi, SA Cheese Fans
Ulrike Christensen, previously from Vogel Valley and Kimilili is now working her magic at Forrest Hill Cheesery on Anura farm, just outside of Klapmuts in the Western Cape. They are currently doing a great camembert and brie.
See you there,
Leon the Milkman
Cheese - Dairy - Milk - South Africa
Kaas - Suiwel - Melk - Suid Afrika
Hi, South African Cheese Fans
A collaboration is coming between Leon the Milkman and Cheese.za.net - keep watching this space!
Hi, South African Cheese Fans!
I’m back from holiday! May 2007 be a blessing to us all!
Kind regards,
Leon the Milkman
Hi, Cheese Fans
This interview is in Afrikaans, but most of it is transcribed here for our English fans.
I spoke to André Kruger of Weltevreden Farm Cheese. In 1994 he started farming on a full-time basis with his father, but wanted to make some extra money and therefore did a cheese course at Irene. In 1995 Lynette Slabbert asked him to help at her cheese factory. In 1996 André also helped Rudolph Burger in Brandfort to start a factory.
He later built his own cheese factory on the farm and in 1998 started producing cheese. In these times he also helped upstarts at the time - Bospré Dairies and Gonda’s Boerekaas.
Production steadily increased. To this day they farm organicly, using no hormones on the cows and only using natural salt as preservative in their cheese. It seems that André’s cheese has seen more of the country than he has, but his main areas for sales are in Gauteng and the Free State.
Products produced are Gouda, Cheddar, Feta and butter. Some flavoured varieties are made and additives included are natural pepper, garlic, mixed herbs, cumin and biltong(dried meat delicacy).
Thanks for the interview André - you are a brave man!
Kind regards,
Leon the Milkman
Hi, Cheese Fans
First in line to be mentioned on the blog is Fairview. Cheesemaker Louis Lourens is the innovator at the helm of the efficient operation. They are making a range of cheeses from goat as well as Jersey milk. The goat milk comes from their own Saanen goats and the Jersey milk from champion dairy farmer, Samuel Walters.
Fairview supplies some of South Africa’s top supermarkets and are truly unique with their top quality packaging designs.
Their Roydon Camembert has been voted best in the world for three years running, at the World Cheese Awards, and they are confident of making it four!
Here are some of their cheese variaties:
La Beryl
Flavour is usually described as…indescribable, strong but not offensive, rich but not sharp, tangy but not bitter. Smell can be described as “foot” smelling with a distinctive Marmite taste.
Bleu en Blanc
A fusion of two classical cheeses making styles. Bleu & Blanc has the outer shell of a handcrafted Camembert, infused with a marble blue heart. The blue veins provide a typical blue flavour from within.
Bobba’s Cream Cheese
Making traditional cream cheese in muslin bags was one of my late grandmother, Hannah’s favourite pass times. I recently found her recipe in the old family cook book and decided to recreate this cheese.
Visit them at www.fairview.co.za and get a cheese-related screensaver or send an e-card from their site.
Kind regards,
Leon the Milkman
Hi, Cheese fans
We have just linked to Leon the Milkman’s Blog itself at www.LeontheMilkman.com
Let the linking games begin, yeeehaaa!!!
Hi, Cheese fans
Join www.dairy-info.org as a member.
You get a free guide that will make you sound like a cheese guru - yes, all those gourmet terms used in judging cheese! The guide is designed in PDF format to be printed and has enough space to tick certain terms and in that way by writing the name, age and date at the top, you have a very accurate record of that cheese.
Enjoy,
Leon the Milkman
Hi, Cheese Fans
I would have to say from easy to more difficult the order would have to be something like this:
Cottage Cheese
Feta
Mozzarella
Gouda
Cheddar
That is for the 5 cheeses mentioned anyway
Kind regards,
Here we have a blog that will be about Cheese Makers in South Africa. There will also be some general discussions on cheese and cheese making.
Hope to here from you,
Leon the Milkman