Cheeses Loves you

A cheese maker for more than a decade, Deb Allard is well known for her cheese making classes and has travelled widely to learn her craft, spending time with expert cheese makers from all over the world.

Deb says because her cheeses are small batch and additive free, they vary in flavour throughout the year and are quite different from the stock standard cheeses sold at the supermarket. Mass produced cheeses usually contain some form of preservatives or additives to extend their shelf life, but the long use-by date often comes at the gives at the expense of character and flavour.

Deb’s cheeses are created on farm, using fresh milk from the dairy she operates with husband Jim. Their herd of Jersey cows are milked daily, supplying fresh milk for Deb’s artisan farmhouse cheese. Deb says most dairy farmers choose Friesians because they produce a greater volume of milk, but the quality of Jersey milk is superior for making cheese. It’s higher in fat and protein, and full of healthy bacteria.

“Jersey milk is outstanding. It has a really great PH. It’s already full of activity and the bacterias I add to it just enhance it,” she said.

Deb’s cheese range includes cottage cheese, ricotta, haloumi, feta, brie, camembert, blue and romano, as well as other dairy products like kefir, cultured butter and yoghurt.

Produce: Jarlsberg, Romano, cheddar, ash whitey’s, mozzarella, haloumi, whey ricotta, brie,nchaource, reblochon, chili feta, blue. Marscapone, buttermilk, cultured butter, cottage cheese, kefir