Chevin Goat

Brought in up Sardinia, Mario Olianas comes from a strong family of Italian gastronomes.

Moving to Leeds in 2001, he quickly set about realising his passion for food – by setting up Italian supper clubs and baking fine foods. Upon hearing about his family’s diversification into cheese-making, however, Mario decided he wanted to create a better Italian cheese than his brothers’.  Getting hold of a small vat, he started making cheese in a specially converted room within his house, following an adapted Pecorino recipe. He uses fresh sheep’s milk which he collects daily from just outside Harrogate, and cultures imported from Italy.

This cheese is based on the classic Pecorino  from Italy.  Most people know the Sardo or Romano varieties of Pecorino, which are hard, dry-aged versions (these were the common types exported from Italy as they travelled well), however in the southern Italy and Italian island villages they also made young (fresco) and semi-soft (semi-stagionato) versions, which were rarely exported.

In 2024 Mario’s local sheep’s milk farm (just 12 miles away) ran out of milk.  Mario had no milk into which to make cheese, so he had to diversify in order to keep going.  Finding that a new young, goat farmer, Hattie McPhee, had just set up in Crosby Ravensworth, Mario decided to help support her and took her goats’ milk.  Using this milk he followed his Pecorino recipe and Chevin goat was born.  Following the Pecorino recipe but using goats’ milk was a challenge (the fats and proteins in goats’ milk are shorter and more delicate) but, with a few careful tweaks… Chevin Goat was born.

This product will have two weeks’ shelf life from the date of delivery.  Conveniently, at checkout you can choose a delivery date even well in the future if you would like your cheese delivering for a specific event.

Ingredients: Milk, salt, cheese cultures and rennet.