More than 25 years of experience, support the good work of Antonio Villajos, one of the founders of this company specialized in the production of cheese and olive oil. Located in Porzuna, Ciudad Real, they work with the typical flavors of La Mancha with best quality results.
How did you start in the world of cheeses?
We are three brothers and we are all concerned about transforming local products from our region (Ciudad Real) such as sheep’s cheese and oil. We started small because it was to open a totally new window. We started with a few infrastructures that have been increasing little by little. Before any initiative, we want above all to focus on conserving the environment or keeping the carbon footprint to a minimum.
In the market there are many artisan cheeses. How is yours?
It is a cheese that is made with raw milk. It is milked and cooled, and to transform it into cheese we add the rennet -which never exceeds 30º of temperature so that it works correctly- together with the lactic ferment. There is no thermal process and we do not add any flavoring ferments.
You also produce semi-cured, cured cheeses. What kind of flavors can we find? How is the Villajos flavor?
In a Manchego cheese with DO, the bouquet, the taste and the aftertaste stand out, leaving a marked flavor. It pairs very well with a red wine, with a beer or lemon soft drinks. As for dishes, a semi-cured cheese is good for soup or fish, for example. The most cured, can be accompanied by tapas, a cocktail or meat dish.
Let’s talk about Villegas cheese, probably the most different cheese in your product catalog.
It is more special because in this case, we do subject the cheese to a thermal and pasteurization process, ensuring that the cheese is consumed fresh and tender. It is a good product more suitable for the elderly, children or women who are breastfeeding. In addition, being a fresh cheese it has less caloric content as it contains more water and less fat extract. It pairs very well with quinces and honeys.
Within the sector, Which trends you will have to face in the coming years?
The most obvious challenge is climate change. We see now, year after year: springs come earlier, are hotter, winters are delayed and they are no longer as cold as before. Climate change is always going to influence products like milk and rennet. The challenge will be to combine our experience with this climate change.
In the region you are located, the main varieties of olives are cornicabra and arbequina. How do you work them?
Yes, our cornicabra olive trees are millenary and produce a very small amount of olives but very valuable because it helps us to compose spectacular oils. It is a very old variety, which adapts very well to arid areas, dry in summer and cold in winter. The oil we obtain has a very high load of polyphenols, one of the best preservatives in oil. It highlights the bitterness and spiciness, typical of this type of olive.
In recent years, the Arbequina variety, which comes from Catalonia, has been introduced in the field. It has adapted to this area very well, giving a very high performance. It is a more aromatic oil, without so much bitterness or itchiness. On the nose, they are reminiscent of spring scents such as hay, grass… They are fresh oils.
Who is your regular customer?
At the national level we have two types of clients: clients who arrive through our website and we also have a client dedicated to the world of catering and restaurants. Internationally, we are always looking for new distributors.
What made you join Spainery?
We think that it is an open window to publicize our products and with the characteristic of being able to highlight the differentiated quality of our products.
Here you can find Villajos products.
