Local producer FET A SON GARROVA

At Fet a Son Garrova, they devote their time, energy and love to the process of making goat’s cheese. This is a family business, located in Sant Llorenç des Cardassar (Mallorca), in the heart of the Sierra de Levante. 

They produce a varied range of goat’s cheese: cured, semi-cured, with rosemary... Production depends on the results of milking, and as the process is completely artisanal, no piece of cheese is the same as any other; each one is unique.

The goats are free to graze as they please around the Son Garrova estate. This process is essential, and the quality of the milk and cheese depends on ensuring the goats are well cared for. They feed directly on what the farm produces, though it’s important to know how to deal with the goats, as explained by María Tortella, who runs Fet a Son Garrova. “Particularly when it rains, they run off and hide. It can be really hard to take them to be milked!”

María and her family kept goats for years, but only took the step to start making cheese a few years ago. It’s a laborious and particularly intensive task. Work in the field doesn’t obey a particular timetable.

The process begins when the goats are milked, which happens every day, from Monday to Sunday morning and evening. The milk is then fermented and pressed. The pieces are pressed for 12 hours. They are then turned over, and the process is repeated. “Turning them over in the press happens when it happens,” explains María. “If they need to be turned at three in the morning, that’s when they’re turned.” The final process varies for each type of cheese. The cured pieces generally take around six months to be ready. The semi-cured cheese needs around half that time.

The Fet a Son Garrova cheese factory is a small, family business. It has a production room, where the fermenting cheese is kept, and a second room, where the goats are milked. You can buy cheeses directly on site. And if you have time, they’ll be happy to give you a detailed explanation of the whole process.