Kervella Cheese

About

A delicious range of cheese using fresh milk, wild cultures and yeasts to make unique seasonal cheese.

Story

East Takaka lays on the eastern side of the Takaka valley floor, watched over by the great Pikikirunga range of Golden Bay.

The marble mountain housing the starlight cave of 'Harwoods hole' looks directly onto the small 'fromagerie' of Kervella cheese.

Gabrielle Kervella and husband Alan Cockman settled in Gabrielle's hometown in 2008.

Coming from the hurly burly life of goat cheese production in Australia, it was a chance to catch up with life and rest.

When it was noticed in an article in the Farmers weekly that, MAF (MPI) would legislate the production of raw milk cheese, the two Master Cheese makers could not let the opportunity to contribute pass by. (Currently the milk is pasteurised)

With over 60 years of combined experience, Gabrielle and Alan saw an opportunity to build a process facility that would be easy to run, reasonably cost effective to build, and exceed the requirements for MPI.

The result is a Micro Fromagerie that makes cheese two days a week from cows milk harvested next door, on Manson's farm.

The fresh milk that is sustainably farmed, is collected early in the morning and processed within minutes into the rich cheese that uses wild cultures and yeasts to make unique seasonal cheese.

All our cheese is suitable for vegetarians.

You can find us at the Saturday Takaka markets, and our cheese is also available at many of the local retailers in Takaka and Nelson.