Artisan cheese Wairarapa style
Thanks to a flock of East Friesian sheep & the skilled hands of Miles King, supreme artisan cheese is produced on the outskirts of Masterton, in Wairarapa.
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Back in 1998 the Miles and Janet King decided to give cheese making a go. Out of a small cheesery built alongside their grazing flock, the first Kingsmeade cheeses were created.
With the milking sheds located there as well, not only does the milk not have to travel far, it’s also handled much less than the milk used to produce cheese on a large commercial scale.
The other bonus is that the Kings know exactly where each litre of milk has come from – their own paddock.
A neighbouring herd of Jerseys provide milk for cow’s milk and blended chesses that the Kings have added to the range.
It’s fair to say that Miles King is hands-on. As a former sheep farmer he’s there when the lambs are born, watching over them as they graze on wild herbs such as plantain, chicory and lucerne.
He milks the ewes twice a day, makes the cheese, then cuts and packages it for sale.
Since the cheese is all hand made on site, no two batches are alike. Subtle differences also occur from season to season depending on what the flock have been eating.
Nearby Janet runs the Kingsmeade deli, selling cheese direct to the public and sending orders around the world.
Address: Kingsmeade deli, 8 First Street, Lansdowne
To find out more about food producers along the Classic New Zealand Wine Trail go to http://www.classicwinetrail.co.nz/winefood.html
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Classic New Zealand Wine Trail
Written: 16 articles
With more than 100 cellar doors along the journey, tasting experiences bring the Classic New Zealand Wine Trail to life. Combined with the farmers' markets, eateries & artisan food producers, it's NZ's most memorable wine & food experience.
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