Specialties of Cantagrullas artisan cheeses in Valladolid
«You don't have cured cheeses?»
This question arises after trying one of the cheeses of Cantagrullas and makes it one of the people who with striking glued appearance arrive in a BMW to this farm located in the middle of the cleared landscapes of a farm in the municipality of Ramiro, in the province of Valladolid.
«We come to buy cheese on the recommendation of a friend«, They say on arrival, but it is obvious that they did not know about the peculiar characteristics of the cheeses of the Cantagrullas Farm, the only one that in Spain elaborates fresh cheeses of raw sheep milk.
Nor did they know that they are cheeses inspired by French cheeses, whose elaboration uses the different technologies currently available in the cheese production sector, giving special prominence to the use of local bacteria.
Rubén Valbuena, Cantagrullas cheese artisan in Valladolid
These potential customers would have been told that Cantagrullas supplies cheeses to some of the most famous chefs in Spain with Michelin stars, although they certainly thought they were going to find the classic (and delicious) cured sheep cheese, so popular in this area of Castilla.
«If you like strong flavors, try this specialty«, Was the response of Ruben, the 33-year-old young entrepreneur who a few years ago decided to settle in this Castilian place to enjoy a country lifestyle with his family, now with three children.
Rubén Valbuena, doctor in the specialty of Territorial Planning of the career of Geography, decided to give a sudden change to his life after working for several years for the Un in the Amazon jungle and in other regions of South America.
There, along with his wife of French origin, with just 24 years he lived the birth of his first child, but now he is at the forefront of this business venture that employs four people, in addition to his own Ruben And his wife.
As proudly stated by her mayor, this project has put the small town of Valladolid on the map Ramiro.
Specialties of Cantagrullas artisan cheeses in Valladolid
The Cantagrullas elaboration range It includes from the freshest cheeses with delicate texture, to creamy cheeses and with a strong flavor, which to some extent remind of Asturian elaborations such as Casin cheese or the Afuega'l Pitu. As a big fan of cheeses, I anticipate that they are delicious, especially, according to my taste, the most potent flavor (... and that without being the traditional cured sheep cheese).
The French influence of cheeses is due to the origin of his wife, and hence comes the passion that Ruben It has for French cheeses.
To highlight the characteristic of à la carte cheeses, well Ruben gets to prepare specific specialties to the taste of each prestigious chef who is responsible for your restaurant.
Specialties of Cantagrullas artisan cheeses in Valladolid
Of course Cantagrullas It is an artisanal installation in a small farm located next to the family home, where 30,000 liters are produced annually, and whose development has been possible thanks to the use of internet and social networks to make it known, as well as to market the product through your store on-line.
Now his business project expands with the opening in May of a specialized cheese shop in Madrid (Conde Duque 15 street), where together with its own elaborations, it will offer a wide range of artisan cheeses. It is, in the words of Ruben, of a «transgressive shop«, Because you select the cheeses in a ripening chamber with 10 degrees of temperature.
If you are passionate about cheese, you have a good reason to visit the cheese factory Ramiro, which you find in the area between Medina of the Field Y Olmedo. Of course, you will not find the typical cured sheep cheese. And if not, the new store in Madrid may be an alternative.
