Claousou

Claousou is a dense, semi soft ewe's milk cheese with a nutty and earthy flavour and silky texture. It is sealed in a bark collar which gives the cheese a woody, smoky, deep flavour.
Raw Ewe's Milk
Matured for 4 to 6 weeks
Traditional Rennet
£16.75

The History, Dairy & Farm, Animals & Maker

Claousou is made in the heart of the Cévennes by a family run dairy. The sheep graze freely on the hillside pastures of the Causse Mejean, eating lush grass, aromatic herbs and sweet flowers. The cheese is named after the small, oblong local gardens of the Causses territory, which are enclosed by stone walls, to protect the inside from sheep. The cheese itself is the same shape as these gardens and is enclosed by a length of spruce bark, from Jura, to protect it. Twelve shepherds currently work to collect the milk from within 30km of the fromagerie.

Claousou was first created by the Fédou family in 2012 but development of the cheese took over two years as the early batches kept collapsing during maturation. The spruce bark was added to support the cheese’s structure and came with the added benefit of adding incredible flavour. For those fond of the seasonal winter cheese, Vacherin Mont d’Or, this is a ewe’s milk alternative.

Sustainability

The ewes are outdoor reared, home fed and the cheese is made and matured within 30km of the grazing fields, so there are very few food miles involved in production.