Selles sur Cher

One of the great French goats’ cheeses hailing from the Loire valley – home to many of the French lactic goats’ cheese styles.

Goats are abundant in this area because Saracen invaders brought them through Europe in the 8th-century.  Defeated in Poitou by the French, when they retreated they left their goats behind: hence the Loire valley is full of them!

This Selles sur Cher is still made on the farm in a traditional manner.  The Poirers are passionate about pasture; the Loire floods their lands every year, naturally spreading diverse grass and flower seeds onto the fields.  This helps Phillipe produce high quality pasture and hay, which in turn flavours and influences the milk that will become cheese.

After milking, the curd is formed over 24 hours before being gently hand-ladled.  A coating of vegetable ash helps to form the rind, then it is aged for four weeks so it starts to break down, forming a luscious cream-line under the wrinkly yeast-like rind.