Caramelo is made by Quesos La Rueda, a small scale cheesemakers which was founded in 2014 in Villamalea in Spain. The creamery is situated in a valley between the Júcar and Gabriel rivers along the natural border with Valencia. The terrain on which the goats live is a traditionally Mediterranean landscape of forest and scrubland, with the aroma of savoury, rosemary and thyme in the air. The small herd is made up of Murciano-Granadina goats, which are perfectly adapted for the environment and also have a high fat and protein content which is ideal for cheese production.
The business is run by José and Marta Luis. José has lifelong experience of being a cattle farmer and Marta has business experience, so together they took on their new venture with a mission to create cheeses full of character and soul. The couple care for the goats themselves, as well as do the milking, the cheese production and the marketing. The entire cheesemaking process is done by hand, using exclusively raw milk, on a very small scale.
The goat’s are fully outdoor reared on organic scrubland, so there are no food miles involved in animal feed. The creamery also sits alongside the goat’s habitat, so the milk doesn’t have to travel for cheese production.
