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Visiting Mallorca’s cheese factories
Artisanal tradition
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Visiting Mallorca’s cheese factories
Artisanal tradition
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Visiting Mallorca’s cheese factories
Artisanal tradition
Visiting Mallorca’s cheese factories
Artisanal tradition
If you like cheese, you must see how they are made using an artisan process in Mallorca and, of course, Menorca, where the Protected Designation of Origin of Mahón-Menorca Cheese has boosted local producers.
For a while, Mallorca was a land of cows, especially in the Campos area, where they were used to operate the mills extracting groundwater from the start of the 20th century. This encouraged cattle rearing, milk production and, as a result, boosted family economies.
Today Campos no longer smells of cows as it did before, but visiting one of the few cheese factories on the island is still possible. The cheese is made on the farm using milk from its own cows: Formatges Burguera. It sells its cheeses directly at its premises are on the road from Campos to Colònia de Sant Jordi. The brothers Sebastià and Jaume Burguera will guide you around the farm and explain the cheese-making process. You can also try tierno (which has a short ageing period) and semicurado (semi-cured) cow’s milk cheeses. The tour is suitable for all ages and it usually takes place in the mornings. It is normally over by 12.30 p.m., a great time to head off for the beaches of Es Trenc, Sa Ràpita or Colònia de Sant Jordi. Booking is essential.
The direct sales programme also gives you the chance to visit Son Jover organic farm in Inca, where they rear sheep and make cheese, especially cheese made from the milk of red sheep, a native species of Mallorca, which roams freely on the estate.
Margalida Seguí and her family will take you round the estate, which is open all year round. Booking is essential for morning visits on Saturdays and Sundays and on other days of the week. You will learn about the entire process, see how the animals live and try their cheeses and other milk subproducts such as yoghurt. We recommend you wear comfortable shoes.
There are other small cheese factories such as Fet a Son Garrova, in Sant Llorenç des Cardassar, and Dairy Mercè in Costitx, where they will also be happy to welcome you whenever they can, although they do not offer organised tours. Fet a Son Garrova uses goat’s milk and Dairy Mercè doesn’t have its own animals buy buys cow’s milk to make its cheeses at its dairy in Costitx.
