HUGUENOT ®
Producer: Dalewood Fromage, Simondium, Cape Winelands
Type: semi-hard, brushed rind, mature
Milk: Jersey (pasture-fed, single herd)
Available in: 25 kg wheels (cut into 1 or 2 kg wedges), 500 g truckles (pictured above)
Uniquely South African, the Huguenot is moulded into huge golden cartwheels (largest heads produced in SA) and slowly matured for 6-12 months to unlock the flavours from the pastures of the Cape. Medium-full in character with nutty overtones.
WINELAND BRIE ™
Producer: Dalewood Fromage, Simondium, Cape Winelands
Type: soft
Milk: cows
Available in: 1,25kg wheel, 125 g wedges, 25 g portions
A smooth, full-cream and ready-to-eat cheese. Available as a whole wheel (approx. 1.25kg – 1,4kg), in wedges of 125g and in bite-size portions of 25g. This is the largest wheel of brie produced in South Africa, with a velvety white rind and a milky, earthy texture.
TANGLEWOOD
Producer: Belnori Boutique Cheesery, Bapsfontein
Type: semi-hard
Milk: cow
Available in: 3 kg head
A plain, tangy cheese with no added foodstuffs. The distinctive green teardrop wax finish complements the strong fruity flavour. Made with a washed curd in an old fashioned gouda style.
Dalewood has an eco-friendly approach to farming. The rotationally grazed Jersey herd spends each day on green pastures, which are precisely managed, beginning with the gentle nurturing of the biological life in the soil. No artificial fertilizers, insecticides or weed killers are used to boost these pastures.
“The meaning of artisanal as it relates to our cheeses, refers to products that are made on a small scale, mostly by hand, that reflect the personality and passion of the maker, made with high quality ingredients that can be traced back to the source and that reflect the nuances of the origin.“
NOBLE FARMHOUSE CHEDDAR
Age: minimum 9 months
Producer: Healey’s Cheesery, Waterkloof Wine Estate, Somerset West
Type: semi-hard
Milk: Jersey cows
Available in: 8 kg head (cut into 1 or 2 kg wedges), 2 kg truckle, 200 g vac pack wedges (retail)
This is a harmonious, rich, English-style white cheddar with savoury and nutty flavours, which is in perfect balance with the saltiness and acidity.
BLUE VEINED CHEDDAR
Age: minimum 9 months
Producer: Healey’s Cheesery, Waterkloof Wine Estate, Somerset West
Type: semi-hard
Milk: Jersey cows
Available in: 200 g vac pack wedges
A matured cheddar with a distinctive mild blue vein, nutty and creamy yet complex. A unique cheese that will complement an elegantly, proudly South African cheese board.
Desiree Stuart, cheesemaker at Healey’s:
Healey’s cheeses are free of preservatives, artificial colouring, flavour enhances, anti-moulds etc. The cheeses are clothed and greased to form a natural outer rind.
“Due to our noble Farmhouse Cheddar being made from unpasteurized milk, we have the advantage of good bacteria that are not killed during the pasteurizing process. It adds greatly to the flavour development.“
HILTON BLUE
Age: 6 months
Producer: La Petite France, Preston Farm, Howick, KZN
Type: semi-soft
Milk: Jersey & Swedish red cows
Available in: 2,2 kg head, 200 g wedges
Rich, creamy and smooth. Its initial mellowness will build into a complex smoky, nutty flavour. Served with figs or port this is an ideal after-dinner cheese but will also add zest to any soup or sauce. The Hilton Blue head has its own edible rind and is generally 18cm in diameter and 10cm deep.
CAMEMBERT
Producer: La Petite France, Preston Farm, Howick, KZN
Type: soft
Milk: Jersey & Swedish red cows
Available in: 125 g, 310 g rounds
This is a soft, smooth and creamy cheese with an edible rind and a deep, rich, earthy flavour that is evocative of a typically French made camembert. The flavours and texture intensify with age. Camembert can be served both hot (melted) and cold, sweet and savoury and paired with almost anything.
Grant Warren, owner at La Petite France:
Situated just outside Howick in the KZN Midlands, is Preston Farm. Nestled in the rolling hills of the Karkloof, this beautiful farm – established in 1972 – is owned and run by Grant Warren and his family.
“An abundance of rye grass enables our cows to produce rich, sweet-tasting, top quality milk. Cows, being natural grazers, are given the freedom to graze the fields day and night, the whole year round.”
