Say cheese! | coeurdeflandre

Say cheese!

Fresh, pressed, matured with beer, flavoured with pepper or nuts – the Heart of Flanders Destination is home to a diversity of cheese. Meet three cheesemakers as passionate about their trade as they are about their Flanders region. Portraits of three creative gourmets!

Getting there

A love story

It all began with a love story. The Flemish land and its local breeds met their match in these enthusiastic and creative personalities. “Aiming for high standards, quality, good products,” would be good motto for Laurent and Marie-Emmanuelle Hennion in Steen’je.

The result is inventive, flavoursome recipes. “The milk of the Belgian Red has a fat content which makes for excellent cheese,” explains Thomas Vaesken at the Fromagerie de Flanders in Saint-Sylvestre-Cappel. His cheese recipe, matured in 3 Monts, is the result of a discussion with brewery manager Pierre Marchica where an idea emerged: Why not associate a local breed with beer?

A dare story

Dare to be different is a recurring theme among these producers. In Thiennes, Alexandre and Aurore Loriette at the Chèvrerie du Tannay gave up everything when they created their activity in 2011. Their goal was to find purpose living and working with animals. In 2013, they released their first fresh cheese made with with raw milk. Their range – what Alexander calls their “crazy ideas” – has grown with time. The farm cellar is used to develop the cheese maturing phase. That’s where the Vieux Bouc – which means the billy goat – is matured.

A team story

Teamwork and sharing traditions are central to the cheesemaking profession. That resounds particularly at the Hennion farm where Laurent and Marie-Emmanuelle pursue their parents’ cheesemaking activity. Laurent, the brother, takes care of the Belgian Reds while Marie-Emmanuelle is busy with the cheese. The range which began with just Bailleul Tomme and Brique Rouge des Flandres, has since been expanded. This creative energy is also reflected in the cheesemaking team, where Anaïs and Jeanne continue to innovate in the store.

With happy animals, inventive producers and a passionate land, the Heart of Flanders Destination has every reason to smile. Say cheese!