The Kalahari Cheesemaking Company

The Kalahari Cheesemaking Company is a “micro cheesery” near the town of Augrabies, Northern Cape, South Africa. We are on the main road (R359) leading to the Augrabies Falls National Park.

I am a typical Taurus and therefore loves the finer things that life offers us. My wife thinks I am a purist.... maybe then by being a puristic Taurus, becoming a cheesemaker was inevitable?

I work in unpasteurized and as natural as possible cow’s, goat’s and sheep-milk. All my cheeses are a blend of these types of milk. Together with the desertlike climate, my cheeses have a very unique flavour profile.
We make a range of jams, pickles, chutneys and preserves too. All done with the fine agricultural products of our erea.

Cheeses

Afrikaner

a 6 month matured cheese made with the unpasteurized milk of indigenous sheep breeds. The colour and shape of the cheese is reminiscent of the fatty tails of the Afrikaner and Van Rooy sheep that we are milking. Price: R475/ kg

Boesmanlander

Uncoloured and piquant! Just as powerful in taste as the scenery of the “Boesmanland”. Matured for twelve months and made in a Cheddar style with unpasteurized goat’s milk. Price : R375/kg

Kalahari Swiss

Swiss Gruyere style cheese, matured for 9 months, made with full cream unpasteurized cow’s milk blended with some goat’s milk to enhance the flavour. The cheese is coloured with Annato. Price: R340/kg Price : R 325/kg

Soetmelk Kaas

A traditional Gouda style cheese made with a blend of full cream unpasteurized cow’s and goat’s milk.Matured for 6 months and coloured with Annatto. Price : R315/ kg

Ophang Kaas

A full cream yoghurt cheese made from unpasteurized cow’s milk made in the Labneh style . This cheese is flavoured with edible tulbaghia flowers,“spekboom” leaves,garlic chives and white pepper. Price : R60(300g)

Kalahari Fromage Blanc

This firm Fromage blanc is made with unpasteurized full cream cow’s and some goats'milk.This young cheese is available in flavoured(dukkah, red chilli, herby garlic, mustard masals and beetroot /sumac) and natural log or six slices in a tray! 180g unflavoured log R50 180g flavoured log R55 Tray of 6 differant flavoured wheels R70

Rosyntjie en Soetwyn Kaas

A young soft cheese made of full cream unpasteurized cow’s milk and flavored with typical flavours(raisins and dessert wine)from the lower Orange River. Someone described it as "tasting like cheesecake!", making it the ultimate dessert cheese. 180g - R60

Wit Skimmel

A white mold ripened cheese made in a camembert style with unpasteurized cows’s and goat's milk. R75 each

Kalahari Feta

Strong, powerful and flavoured with black pepper and oreganum.This is a typical homemade feta made with full cream unpasteurized cow’s and goat’s milk, matured for 3 months. R315/kg

Jong Bok

Young, soft and full of life like a goat kid. A cheese in the chèvre-style made from unpasteurized full cream goat’s milk. 190g - R55

Die Bloue

A traditional blue mold cheese made with full cream unpasteurized cow's- and goat's milk and matured for 3 months. Price: R315/ kg

Cheese platter

I can pack you a platter with the cheeses of your liking for the amount of guests you are entertaining. Price quoted according to your choice of cheeses and amount of portions needed.

Jams, Pickles, Chutneys, Preserves and other....

Green Fig preserve, Curried Sultana Chutney, Sultana Jam/ Korrelkonfyt, Farm Fresh Shelled Pecan Nuts, Skuinskoek melba, Pickled Grapes, Pickled Garden Flowers, Quince Paste(Membrillo like)

Cheese Towers

Up to a four tier cheese tower( 7,5 kg )can be assembled to your liking! We are the only dairy that can make you a three cheese tower(7kg)consisting out of cow, goat and sheepmilk cheeses. Price on request

1. You order:
Place your order before 12h00 each day to be processed timely. Please add a detailed delivery address, name and contact number.
2. I quote:
upon receiving your order, I prepare the quote and email it back to you with our banking details for you to make your payment.
3. Delivery:
Upon receiving your payment, we book the courier and prepare your order.Once the booking has been made we will email you the confirmation and expected time of arrival.
4. Routes:
(i) Local (R60) This is done within a 100km radius of Augrabies, my hometown.
(ii) N7 Route(R165 up to 3 kg parcel)
All towns on N14 and N7 from Kakamas to Cape Town are covered.
Deliveries are done within 24-36 hours. Deliveries to towns on these routes are dropped off at a designated point. In Cape Town, the Winelands and the Overberg all deliveries are to your physical address. All orders will be packed in cooler-boxes with ice-packs.
iii) We have a service to Kimberley, Bloemfontein and Johannesburg available but things are changing very fast on these routes. Make contact with us when on those routes so that we can discuss the fastest and safest way to get your cheese to you
iv) We can also do a delivery to all destination serviced by SA Airlink.

Cheesemaking Workshops

I only take 3 participants per course. When I have a booking of 3 people an alternative date can be arranged. The next official courses are the weekends of 25 May, 15 June,16 August. During these weekend-long courses, participants will be practically involved in the making of the cheeses. We will also use some of the cheeses made in cooking....like deep fried cheese curds made with the freshly made Farmer's Cheese.

The events will take place on the farm. Staying over at Khamkirri Kalahari, where various types of accommodation are available, is recommended. There are lots of activities to keep the rest of the family busy. Transport to the farm can be arranged. Please ask about river levels and the boat service to our side of the river when making reservation.

Cheeses covered in every course will be a Farmer's Chees made from store bought milk, Yoghurt and Labneh made with Powder Milk, Lactic Cheese made from UTH milk, a Stirred-curd Cheddar made from farm fresh goatsmilk, Mozzarella, Feta, Haloumi and Ricotta made from farm fresh cowsmilk. Participants will also put together a classic cheeseplatter with my cheeses to be enjoyed as a late lunch, paired with non-alcoholic beer and wine.

Fee: R 4 500 (accommodation to be booked separately). Deposito of R2000 is payable upon booking and that can be refunded a week before start of course booked on.

Bookings essential

Program:

Fri 14h00: Meet & Greet

Milk tasting-Cow, Goat, Sheep, Store bought, Uth and Powder milk.

Start with first phase of making Feta, Mozzarella, Haloumi and Ricotta with farm fresh cowsmilk. All technical, chemical and biological process will be fully explained while it is happening.

Start the process of making youghurt with powder milk.

Coffee break with something sweet will be squeezed in.

Feta to be moulded. All the other cheeses started needs to stand overnight.

Sat 9hoo: Coffee and Kefir rusks.

Curds to become Haloumi will be shaped and lightly pressed for heating later on. Curds to be used to make the Mozzarella will be cut, heated and worked into balls and then cooled in salted water. Whey to make Ricotta heated.

Yoghurt to be drained.

Start the Farmers cheese with store bought cowsmilk.

Turn and check pH of Feta.

Start Stir Curd Cheddar with farm fresh goatsmilk.

Cook Haloumi and cool down.

Cut the Farmers Cheese and Cheddar.

Make a savoury and desset cheese platter to be enjoyed with beer/wine or non alcoholic wine and beer.

Heating and stirring of Farmers cheese and Cheddar

Moulding and pressing of Farmers cheese and Cheddar.

Brining of Haloumi and Feta.

Sun 9h00: Taking cheese out of presses.

Making of Lactic cheese with UTH milk, cool and flavour. Enjoy with flat breads

Yoghurt with berries and muesli for breakfast.

Make deep fried cheese curds from Farmers cheese.

Pan fry Haloumi with a chilli sauce

Mozzarella with roasted olives,tomatoes and garlic on flat breads

Ricotta, Merogo and Phyllo bake

Cheese Souffle with my Kalahari Swiss/Boesmanlander

Enjoy the fruits of our weekend long labour with a very special "Cheese dessert" around our kitchen table.

Free gift of live Goatsmilk Kefir to take home

Done and dusted by 14h00

Cheese tastings

We offer cheese tastings in our kitchen on the farm. It is available on Saturdays at 11hoo. Bookings to be confirmed by Thursday 17h00.

All the cheeses we make are on the menu accompanied by fresh local produce, traditional biscuits, olives from the garden, locally made jams and chutneys, venison droëwors, biltong and local nuts.

During the tasting, I explain what each cheese is, how it is made, aged and should be enjoyed. I share some interesting nerdy cheese facts too. This was described by someone visiting "as the best cheese experience she has ever had" and she was from Austria!

The variety of cheeses presented during the tasting are available to buy.

There are two options: Cheese tasting with beer R450 P/P

Cheese tasting with wine R650 P /P

The wines are from Olifantsberg in the Breedekloof. We use their Lark Chenin Blanc 2022, Grenache Rose 2022 and Syrah 2018. My children Ferdi and Elizma are the winemakers.

This is a lunch and lasts about 2h30.

CHEESE

About

Products

Cheeses