Stellenbosch Cheese was awarded Gold at the 2021 Dairy Products Awards. We asked cheesemaker Jade Martin a few questions about their success.
I have a background in Microbiology (MSc, Stellenbosch) and have a passion for fermentation and using it to produce innovative food and beverage products.
When I'm not making cheese, you will find me either mountain biking or trail running.
Stellenbosch Cheese was founded in 1995, at the exact location you will find it today.
Our brand, Roulou, has a rich history tracing back to 1659 with the arrival of a Dutch explorer, Jan Louw, in the Cape. This settler would end up being one of the most successful farmers in South Africa at the time. After many generations, a woman named Anna-Maria Roux would marry into the Louw family. Together, they built a very impressive estate and shared much success. They decided to combine their surnames (Roux and Louw) and rename their farm “RouLou”. To this day, the “Roulou” family still owns and manages the very same estate. Our Feta cheese is produced on that farm today.
We still make our feta cheese the traditional way. We make it in the same way since its inception in 1995. Only Jersey milk is used (originating from the Jersey cow, of course) and we have been doing so since the brand was launched. Jersey cows differ largely from other cattle breeds in the sense that they produce milk with an extremely rich butterfat content and thus allow us to produce a richer, creamier, and smoother product.
Our current Feta range is unique in the sense that we are the only dairy company using Jersey milk to produce our feta range. This range consists of 6 different variants (Plain, Black Pepper, Mixed Herbs, Basil & Tomato, Chives, and reduced fat).
One of the unique features of our production process is that our recipe and process have not changed much since our product was first launched 26 years ago, and we plan to keep it that way. My philosophy when it comes to production would be to expand, scale, and grow without compromising on quality. We have constantly implemented this philosophy and have been able to go from producing a few hundred kilograms of feta weekly to many tons without compromising the manufacturing process, recipe, and thus quality of our product.
We have been producing feta, only feta, and nothing but feta for 26 years. We have been able to focus all of our energy and resources into handcrafting an incredible feta cheese.
Our product is currently exported to a few countries including Namibia, Mauritius, and Zambia. However, we are still aiming to increase our international exposure significantly in the near future.
Yes, indeed. We have a few very innovative, novel interesting projects which we are experimenting with at the moment. Consumer behaviour is changing, and therefore we believe that adapting and meeting constantly changing consumer preferences is vital to the success of the company. We are constantly making improvements to be more efficient, save & recycle more water and produce more sustainably.
Contact person: Jade Martin
Email address: orders@roulou.co.za
Contact number: 079 175 7504
Website address: https://www.stellenboschcheese.com
Facebook page: https://www.facebook.com/Roulou-Feta-106241178407220
Instagram page: https://www.instagram.com/roulou_feta/