Estimated reading time: 6 minutes
You cannot grow in business, if you do not share your good fortune with others. The words of Rina Belcher, co-owner and cheese-maker of Belnori Boutique Cheesery. And, agrees husband and business partner, Norman, this philosophy has served them well over the years. They have put in some hard work and had their share of luck, but all with good reason …
The Belchers farm on a small piece of land close to Bapsfontein just outside of Pretoria. They initially purchased the land to farm with proteas, but a soil analysis showed that this was not to be.
“It was an article in the Farmer’s Weekly and a few other events that got us interested in the goats. Once the seed was planted, the next logical step was to find out how difficult such a venture would be.”
“We started out small and we always look back with thanks on the people who assisted us at the time,” says Norman, a former factory manager with a military background. This enabled them to build their herd from 4 ewes to the current 90 being milked.
A person who made a great contribution towards their future, was Jompie Burger. Norman completed a course in basic animal husbandry and feta-making presented by Jompie in Springs at the time. Jompie is now manager of the Dairy Standard Agency in Pretoria. Back then, Jompie himself was a goat farmer and cheese-maker. His course, remembers Norman, was very insightful and confirmed their belief that this is a business they wanted to be in. They later also completed courses with people such as well-known cheese guru, Hans Keller.
Small beginnings
“We started out with a single pot that we used as a vat,” says Rina. “Everything was done on a small scale. Our very first cottage cheese was made on the stove. This meant that we could only use small ‘vats’, which inevitably led to long hours.”
The labels for their cheeses were cut by hand and became a family affair, where even the grandchildren joined the ‘production line’.
“Rina and I are convinced that our business wouldn’t have made it, had we not committed right from the start to do it together. It is a family business and an integral part of our marriage. We work like a well-oiled machine, each knowing and understanding what the other is responsible for and when to take over or let go.”
Trial and error
Of course there were hard times and not everything always went well. They had many failures and had to learn from their mistakes.
“I learned the hard way that goat’s cheese has to stand longer, that it requires slightly more cultures and lower pasteurisation temperature and a longer time than cheese made from cow’s milk. People such as Chris Tredoux, an engineer who got involved in cheese-making out of pure interest, literally saved my sanity, answering all my questions and soaking up my frustrations! He shared his knowledge with me,” says Rina.
Milk and microbes: A match made in heaven
It is also because of him that Rina and Norman learned the importance of sharing knowledge and literally passing on the baton.
“Business is a relay and if one team member drops the baton, the race is lost. We assist other would-be cheese-makers and goat farmers with as much information as possible, as we truly believe that we have to strengthen the industry,” says Rina.
When they started out, Jompie Burger gave them their very first Saanen ram, aptly named Jompie. This was the first act of kindness that set in motion the Belchers’ philosophy of ‘paying it forward’. Every year, the couple give a ram from their Saanen-herd to someone else. This ‘gift’ makes a significant contribution towards any goat farmer who is building his or her herd.
SAGS is born
Another result of their philosophy, was their involvement in the founding of SAGS, the Southern African Goat and Sheep Milk Processors’ Organisation.
“The establishment of SAGS has brought a new dimension to the industry, which is still very small, but growing all the time. We are able to educate, share information during special information days, and we have launched the SAGS 100% Goats’ Milk certification mark. This mark is placed on all of our members’ products, giving credibility to their products and giving consumers peace of mind that they are buying the real thing.”
SAGS is all about paying it forward and adding value – things that Rina regard as the heart of their business.
“We want to provide sound information and set good benchmarks. Our membership is slowly but surely growing, and we want to provide newcomers to the industry with the best support possible. It doesn’t help to try and keep things toyourself, as this is harmful to the industry. Our industry is too small for selfishness.”
The Belnori range
Belnori Boutique Cheesery’s award-winning range of cheeses is impressive and growing. Besides their range of cheeses which include the soft and hard varieties, Rina and Norman also produce a mouth-watering yoghurt which is sugar- and preservative-free. Their semi-hard cheeses include gouda-, cheddar- and pecorino-type cheeses. The wax coatings used for these cheeses are purchased from Malcolm Gray of Graytec. The Tanglewood is a no-nonsense cheese decorated with an extra layer of coloured wax, making it highly presentable and interesting.
Their soft cheeses include cream cheese, feta, cottage cheese, camembert and brie. Their mould-ripened Phantom Forest is Chèvre, inoculated with camembert-mould and then encased in ash and with a layer of ash through it. It is creamy, with a subtle mushroom flavour – one for the connoisseurs.
A definite favourite among consumers is their well-known Triptique – a 200 g punnet containing three logs of chevré covered in either garlic and herb, a crushed pepper blend or greek herb, or one of each herb type or just plain. Their feta cheeses are also very popular and lately they have noticed a growing demand for their parmesan. Belnori’s feta is available in Greek Herb, Pepper Blend and Lavender Rounds.
Where to buy
Belnori and its dedicated owners are definitely going from strength to strength. The cheesery is gaining more and more recognition for its outstanding quality cheeses. Besides a number of awards received at the SA Dairy Championships over the years, they have also been blessed with a recent silver at the 2009 World Cheese Awards and two Bronzes in 2010. – Lynette Louw, Stockfarm
Visit the website www.belnori.com for more information.
