Is your cheese vegetarian?
Yes. Microbial rennet (vegetable based) is used in the production of all our cheeses. This makes our cheese halaal too :)
Is your live whatsapp ordering system safe?
Yes. Our LIVE ordering concept developed out of trial and error and communications via whatsapp has worked exceptionally well. We are very busy bees, dealing with many different individual orders at a time. Whatsapp allows us to communicate with our customers as and when we put together orders resulting in a much smoother operation. Instant communication also eliminates the risk of misunderstandings. If there are any questions from either party those can be asked and clarified much faster.
I'm worried about paying online as I haven't heard of you before, do you have references?
Yes. We attend many markets on a permanent basis and you are welcome to contact any one of those organizers should you feel the need to double check. Whilst our company is small, we are Zapper verified too. In order to obtain a Zapper QR code, one needs to personally meet with a Zapper agent and submit various forms of documentation. Our distribution side of the business trades as Caprese Trading and we distribute our artisan cheese and butter to many of Durbans top restuarants, elite deli's and select retail outlets. We have nowhere to hide ;) !!!
How much does postage cost?
The cost of posting / courier can vary depending on the amount of products ordered. This is why we prefer to deal with our customers LIVE, via whatsapp - in order to give an accurate postage quote.
Do you offer samples?
Not really. We can however cut you very thin slivers of our different cheeses should you wish. Remember, our cheese is priced per kg - so a slim sliver of cheese doesn't cost much at all and is a great way for you to keep a record of which of our cheeses you enjoy, for future reference and orders.
How much cheese should I order?
This will depend on the occasion. If you are providing cheese for an event or dinner party - approximately 100g of cheese per person is a safe amount of cheese go by. If you are unable to buy your cheese from us at the various markets we attend and are ordering via post, we would recommend monthly cheese orders.
How long will your cheese last?
Stored correctly, our hard cheeses will easily last a month. In fact, hard cheese will 'keep' for a very long time before it goes bad. Cheese is more likely to dry out and become hard and unappealing long before it has a chance to 'go bad'. We don't worry about cheese going bad, more so, about cheese drying out. We reccomend that cheese is wrapped loosely with plastic or wax paper and kept refrigerated. Cheese is alive, it needs to breathe - so keep it covered, but don't strangle it.
How long will soft cheese last?
Our soft cheeses are sourced from various different farmers from around the country and with those various different farmers comes various different answers to that question!
A few of our small farm producers will only make soft cheeses to order. In such cases, it takes two weeks from the day of production before that cheese is ready to be wrapped. Once wrapped, it takes a further two weeks for that cheese to be 'ready'. Young, but ready enough to eat. Thereafter the ripening process starts to kick in and the cheese will continue to ripen for up to another four weeks getting oozier as the time passes by.
Some individuals prefer a young firm soft cheese whilst others like myself, drool over an oozing Brie or Camembert!
What happens if I cut into my Brie or Camembert too early?
In a word, tough. Sadly, a Brie or Camembert will not continue to ripen if it is cut into too soon. Think of an avocado pear. I'm almost certain we've all done it, at least once - cut into the avo, only to find it hard - stuck the two halves back together, wrapped it tightly in cling film pretending like nothing happened, hoping that in a few days it will magically be ripe and ready... It doesn't work.
We will help guide you through your cheeses ripening life-cycle and work with you to help ensure
What if I find mould developing on my cheese?
Our cheeses are 100% hand made and natural. Unlike store bought pasteurised cheese our cheeses have no anti-fungal additives and are preservative free. Should you notice any mould development dont worry, simply dampen a cloth with white wine vinegar and gently wipe off the mould. It is thanks to cheese mould that we have penicillin today! We are sure though that our cheese will be long gone and completely devoured way before any mould has a chance to appear, so worry not.
