Cheese Production
Innovation. Technology. Success.
The cheesery has been built and expanded to facilitate efficient production utilizing different cultures and moulds while maintaining the hygiene and control standards required from a world class facility. Access is strictly controlled and the cheesery is not open to the public. We process thousands of liters of both Jersey cows’ milk and Sannes goats’ milk daily, running seven days a week. This translates into approximately 1 kiloton of speciality cheese per annum. The Fairview Cheesery has full Food Safety System Certification 22000 (FSSC22000) with audits taking place annually. The factory also has Kosher and Halaal certification.
In 2019 as part of our responsible approach to business and the preservation of natural resources, the cheese factory partnered with Emergent Energy and Absa Bank to provide a comprehensive solar solution for our factory. With a total of 924 solar panels installed on the factory roof and a 305kWp system, we are able to produce around 430 000kWh of clean energy annually. Solar energy currently accounts for around 18% of our energy needs.
Although we've grown from the early days when Charles Back himself was attempting to produce goats' cheese, our philosophy has remained the same. By taking traditional European recipes and adding a certain South African flair, and only using ingredients of exceptional quality, sourced sustainably, we can ensure a high standard product. Clearly the quality of our products speak for themselves as we currently produce the majority of Woolworths's speciality cheeses.
To ensure there is something for everyone, we strive to offer a range of both traditional white mould cheeses such as Brie and Camembert, while our winning innovations such as our White and Blue Rock cheeses help place us ahead of the herd. All our Fairview Cheese is made with non-animal rennet and are certified Halaal and Kosher. All that’s left for you to do is taste and enjoy!
Currently a selection of our cheeses are available at Woolworths, Pick 'n Pay, Checkers and Spar stores nationwide.