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La Payesa
CHEESE SHOPS
CHEESE SHOPS
CHEESE SHOPS
CHEESE SHOPS
CHEESE SHOPS
CHEESE SHOPS
La Payesa: Seven Decades of Traditional Artisan Cheese
La Payesa is a family cheese factory that has been going for over 70 years, based in Alaior, committed to protecting the authenticity of Mahón-Menorca cheese. Through artisan techniques and ageing in wooden cellars, each block reflects a tradition that has survived generations. Since launching in the 1950s and still now, La Payesa has been a symbol of quality and dedication.
La Payesa began in the 1950s, when the grandfather of the family bought a warehouse on the outskirts of Alaior to expand his small family business. In the 1960s, Mondays were busy, with farmers bringing their cheese in mule-drawn carts to sell to the people of Mallorca, along with other products from the countryside. Over time, the business grew, and in the 1970s, the father took the reins. He decided to focus on making Mahón-Menorca cheese using raw milk and traditional techniques to guarantee the highest quality.
In the 1980s, La Payesa introduced new machinery and became the first family business to produce Mahón-Menorca cheese on an industrial scale, expanding to a new factory in Alaior. The team learned new techniques to improve production, without losing the traditional aspects that define the cheese. Over the years, now in its third generation, La Payesa has perfected its process, maintaining high quality standards and keeping up with the times, without losing its identity.
The cheese-making process at La Payesa is still artisan: from the collection of milk from Friesian cows that graze on sustainable pastures, the moulding with a cloth called fogasser to ageing in wooden vats. During this last phase, the master cheesemaker takes special care of each piece by turning it and coating it in oil and paprika, and controlling the temperature and humidity to further nuance the flavour and texture. The result is a high-quality DOP Mahón-Menorca cheese, capturing heritage and craftsmanship in every bite.
