Animal welfare is a priority, and not only to guarantee the sustainability of a farm, but also so that the final product is excellent. Therefore, the name of it would adianus It seems to us to be the most accurate, since in old Castilian it means "something of the utmost excellence".
But we're not here to praise the namming of this cheese that is made by hand at the El Campillo estate, located in Ciudad Real, at the foot of the Toledo mountains, but to congratulate them for having obtained the Animal Welfare Certificate by AENOR (the first and only in Spain).
And what does this mean? That have passed a rigorous audit, based on the protocols of the European projects Welfare Quality and AWIN® (Animal Welfare Indicators), in which Animals have been directly observed in order to assess four principles: good nutrition, good accommodation, good health and appropriate behavior.
Adian cheese.
ARTISAN CHEESE
Everything is done by hand in this La Mancha cheese factory where they have made love for their sheep the cornerstone of their business.
And there are not a few heads of sheep among which to distribute affection, specifically 3,500 purebred Manchego sheep, carefully fed in freedom in the pastures of the El Campillo estate, nestled in the valley of the Bullaque river –which crosses it and enriches the crops–, in a land planted with fodder in certain months of the year and with evergreen natural meadows, scrubland and leafy forests.
Only in this way, using freshly milked raw milk, unpasteurized, to which no additives or preservatives are added, do they obtain a cheese of extreme quality, "with aroma, flavor, texture and aesthetics", one that matures naturally in its own cellars, where the mold slowly covers and forms the bark. Since, as they remember from the Adiano cheese factory, The idea is to "elevate Manchego cheese to a luxury, exclusive and sophisticated product, not only because of its exceptional, unprecedented quality, but because of all the aspects that surround cheese making.”
CHEESES AND FACILITIES
Of natural, traditional and limited production, this Manchego cheese factory, which respects the necessary maturation times, has a complete range made up of cheeses with Denomination of Origin: Half-cured Adiano (3-5 months), cured (6-8 months ) and old (8-12 months).
Cheeses that have managed to position themselves within the most prestigious international market, by obtaining the International Cheese Award, the silver medal for the best cheese in Spain, of any variety, weight or size , and the bronze medals for the best Cheese in brine of any variety and Hard Cheese (cured) of any variety.
Adiano's own livestock -created after several years of searching and selection of the best pure specimens of Manchega sheep throughout Castilla la Mancha– grows at its own pace in a state of semi-freedom, where it alternates daily time in the field grazing, running, sunbathing or resting, with time in their buildings, designed with the latest available technology focused on animal welfare (Animal Welfair™) and where sheep are milked or spend the night to shelter from the elements.
Additionally, this Manchego cheese factory has a waste treatment plant that minimizes their impact and ecological footprint, and further assists them in their efforts to become a 100% sustainable brand.