The Fairview cheesery has become one of the most recognisable dairy brands in South Africa and is currently the biggest producer of speciality cheeses in the country.
With a long history of producing award-winning cheeses and a range of over 50 cows’ and goats’ milk products, we strive to adhere to the same philosophy that has guided us since our humble beginning.
In the late 1970s Cyril & Beryl Back, the late parents of our current owner Charles, had been on a trip to France and fell in love with the richly flavoured goats’ milk cheeses produced on a number of the wine farms that they visited. Upon returning to Paarl, they began investigating the possibility of starting South Africa’s first goats’ milk cheesery. After much investigation and a few fortunate coincidences, the first Saanen goats arrived at the farm in 1980.
Cyril was farming with pigs at the time, and his understanding of livestock was not in question. However, the skill of producing delicious goats’ cheese was not one that was easily learned. Charles was tasked with producing Fairview’s first few batches of cheese and the results were…interesting to say the least!
“My father and I had an excellent book on cheese production, however it was all in French which neither of us understood! We tried many recipes and methods with very mixed results. Our greatest achievement in those first months was that we managed to tick off every cheese fault that the book specified. These included a hideous looking contamination called ‘hair of the cat’, which resulted in long grey hairs growing out of our cheeses,” recounts Charles of his efforts.
Help was required and we enlisted the assistance of Michel Agostinelli, a passionate Italian who had settled in South Africa after arriving as a POW during World War Two. Together with Charles, Agostinelli began to develop the cheesery and the processes and disciplines involved. Cyril was soon satisfied that the quality of the Fairview cheeses was good enough to serve and they were offered along with wine tastings in the Fairview Tasting Room.
The arrival of a large group of French engineers in Cape Town to work on a new power plant, added impetus to the cheesery as they quickly became fans and returned regularly during their stay.
Goats’ milk cheese was a tough sell in South Africa in the 1980s as it was not a product that consumers were familiar with at all. But as time passed, both the size of the herd and the range of cheeses grew, with expansion to the cheesery taking place.
In 1995 the cheesery took a significant step forward thanks to two key events. Louis Lourens joined Fairview as head cheesemaker and Jersey cows’ milk cheese production was introduced. In recent years, we’ve continued to focus on innovation within the dairy industry with a keen interest in sustainability and specifically renewable energy. In 2019 as part of our responsible approach to business and the preservation of natural resources, the cheese factory partnered with Emergent Energy and Absa Bank to provide a comprehensive solar solution for our factory.
With a total of 924 solar panels installed on the factory roof and a 305kWp system, we are able to produce around 430 000kWh of clean energy annually. Solar energy currently accounts for around 18% of our energy needs.
Although we’ve grown from the early days when Charles Back himself was attempting to produce goats’ cheese, our philosophy has remained the same. By taking traditional European recipes and adding a certain South African flair, and only using ingredients of exceptional quality, sourced sustainably, we can ensure a high standard product. The quality of our products were once again on display at the annual SA Dairy Championships held on 25 March 2022!
A total of 10 products were named South African Champions and three products received the esteemed Qualité award. These products are:
• Chevin with Garlic & Herbs
• Chevin with Honey – Available exclusively at Woolworths
• Brie de Roche – Available exclusively at Woolworths
Congratulations to our cheesemaking team! You continue to do the Fairview name proud.
We would like to extend an invitation to SA Chef readers to stop by our Tasting Room on your next visit to the Cape Winelands where we offer curated cheese and wine tastings 7 days a week, 363 days of the year (closed on Christmas and New Year’s Day). We are committed to ensuring that we always have a diverse range of wines available for our visitors to choose from, including a selection of wines exclusive to our cellar door. Your tasting also includes an expertly paired selection of 6 Fairview cow and goat’s milk cheeses.
If you’re unable to visit us, a selection of our cheeses are available at Woolworths, Pick ‘n Pay, Checkers, Spar, OKFD and other independent stores nationwide.
Fairview Cheese’s are made with non-animal rennet and are certified Halaal and Kosher. All that’s left for you to do is taste and enjoy!
To LIFE…and cheese!
The Fairview Team
www.fairviewineandcheese.co.za
