Olivia was created in 1995 in Provence, France, by a lady called Isabelle Donneaud, originally for the restaurant trade. After becoming a winner at a local cheese competition, the Olivia started being sold outside of Provence, and eventually internationally.
In 1984, Isabelle had a herd of just 30 Provencal goats, who roamed the Luberon valley in the South of France. It is a peaceful land of shepherds, lavender and olive trees and the cheese very much represents the terroir. Her two sons, Marc and Adrien, have since joined the business and have expanded the herd to 250 Provencal and Alpine goats. The small, independent company still has just 5 employees and makes a small number of artisanal, raw milk goat’s cheeses.
The goats have access to pasture at least 250 days of the year, though often more when the weather allows. In the winter, they are fed a completely natural, non GM diet and are not given any antibiotics or medication as standard. The dairy even prioritise natural remedies.
The dairy guarantee that the goats are never given any hormones and go through natural lactation periods, with a complete break from December to March.
The Olivia combines beautiful local goat’s cheese with olive paste and provencal herbs.
The goats are outdoor reared, fed a homegrown diet, and the cheese is made on the same site as the grazing fields, so there are no food miles involved in production.