Meet the maker behind five award-winning cheeses

Feta cheese, that delectable  Greek original of brined white cheese, is what kick-started Rina and Norman Belcher’s cheesemaking business, Belnori, in 2003. And a goat — a Saanen ram, a gift from a friend, was the first animal on their smallholding on the East Rand in Gauteng, a stone’s throw from Bapsfontein and the hotel where weekend opskops (dances) are legendary.

The idea, upon purchasing the property, was to remove all the wattle trees and plant proteas, but after they discovered the soil was way too acidic for this, a course in making feta spurred the decision to change direction and make cheese. And after two decades of cheesemaking, their melt-in-the-mouth crushed pepper feta is one of five of their cheeses top receive gold in the South African Dairy Awards announced last week.

Two of the five received the ultimate accolade, a Qualite award — “Like a distinction,” says  Norman. No mean feat for this small artisanal cheese producer when pitched against 920 entries of the country’s finest dairy products.

Nor is it the first time, either:  over the years Belnori has won many awards for a variety of excellent cheeses. In 2012 , their first year in the international arena at the World Cheese Awards, they won a silver for their plain goats feta — and to date a whopping 28 awards in that competition.

Rina says she’s always liked cheese and even as a child she enjoyed the more exotic types like Camembert and Brie. And Norman had always wanted to raise animals. They started with a small herd of goats and their top quality range of goats milk cheeses have been pivotal in changing the perception that goats milk cheeses are goaty. They aren't, thanks to Norman's fastidious care of the herd.  

Sunday Times photographer Alaister Russell and I meet Rina and Norman a couple of days after their accolades and it is business as usual for the winning team.  The goats had been milked at 5am.

Rina, assisted by Lameck Theu, Happy Kanyinji and granddaughter Rachel Belcher, was in the cheesery busy with the final step in making Camembert, scooping out the beautiful white curds from the vat of curdled jersey cow’s milk, which comes from a nearby farmer, and pouring it into moulds — the small round vessels for the Camembert and the unusual rectangular shape for their Brie.  They quickly “flicked"the cheeses, turning them about for uniform shape. It’s an impressive operation.

So what is the winning formula? Being in control of the quality of the milk — the goats and sheep in the pens are plump and pristine, Norman’s job.  I believe there’s something in Rina’s hands and her creative mind. She has a knack for conjuring up new variations, an interesting selection of  fresh, soft and semi-hard cheeses.

They choose to keep their business small, selling the cheese at markets and through specialist cheese stores rather than supermarkets. Just before Covid-19 hit they opened a weekend shop and cafe on the smallholding. Now it is back and growing in popularity.

Rina said the last two years were very tough. They stopped  cheesemaking completely and sold the herd, living off their reserves. “It left us reeling,” she said, “like a punch in the solar plexus.” But like all pioneers they’ve dusted themselves off and are back producing award-winning cheeses.

Rina’s an optimistic soul with a strong belief in the Almighty, “whoever that is”, she says. “A higher hand that has looked after Norman and I.”  Rina said the couple, who are both in their mid-70s, have been blessed with good health.  I say it's the endless supply of good cheese, too.

BELNORI BOUTIQUE CHEESERY’S TOP 5 CHEESES

ST FRANCIS OF ASHISI

Qualite Award: A delicate yet creamy goat and cows milk mould-ripened cream cheese with a layer of ash. In 2019 it was named South African Dairy Product of the Year.

WHITE VELVET

Qualite Award: A rectangular cows milk Brie-style of  soft cheese.

FOREST PHANTOM

A creamy goats milk mould-ripened chèvre with a layer of ash with a subtle mushroom flavour.

CRUSHED PEPPER FETA

A firm but creamy goats milk feta flavoured with a pepper blend.

SWAHILI SERENADE

A truckle-shaped sheeps milk Gouda-style of hard cheese.

• See belnori.com or cheesesa.co.za/sa-dairy-awards