Anna and Bob Rosevear have been running Mahoe Cheese near Kerikeri as a family business since 1986, making them pathfinders and now true heroes of the artisan cheese scene in New Zealand.
Making cheese hadn’t been something on their minds, but Anna changed that in the early 1980s when she started experimenting with making cheese in her kitchen. With the family farm providing a ready supply of milk, Bob got into gear too and an artisan business was formed.
Fast forward to today and Māhoe remains a highly-regarded family business. Son Tim mostly applies organic principles to running the farm and their mixed herd of about 60 cows which he milks twice daily. This gives Tony, their family friend and long-time cheesemaker, confidence about the provenance of the milk and that it will be of the highest quality. Because the cows graze on the paddocks surrounding the cheesery, the milk goes directly into the vats where its pasteurised and magic of turning it into fabulous cheese begins.
Tim’s brothers Jesse and Jake work with Tony to constantly improve how they make and mature the cheese, and the results are obvious, with Māhoe regularly winning awards. They are renowned for their Dutch style cheeses but also make a range of fresh and other styles as well as yoghurt. You’ll find their cheeses at nearby farmers’ markets and at their small farm shop (but note that their shop is often described as a nice challenge to find!).
We are proud to have Mahoe Cheese in The Cheese Wheel whanau. You can enjoy their cheese on a regular basis in our monthly Cheese Boxes, delivered to you each month.
