The story began in 1975, driven by the passion of one man, Jean Verrier. That was the year he developed the recipe that would see Le Rustique go way beyond the borders of Normandy: Camembert Le Rustique. As the years go by, our cheese-makers still have the same desire to create cheeses with a unique and inimitable flavour. Read about the simple and authentic history of Le Rustique.
1. Collecting the milk
To make a good Camembert, you must have good milk. That’s why Le Rustique works with partner farms close to the dairy in Pacé in Normandy. The milk producers run family farms, usually with between 50 and 70 cows, producing an average of 20-25 litres of milk per day; it takes 2.2 litres of milk to make one Camembert. Before being collected, the first quality check is carried out on the milk, which is then transported to the dairy.
2. Pasteurisation & quality control
Next comes the pasteurisation stage: the milk is heated to 72°C, then rapidly cooled, to eliminate all harmful bacteria. Checks are performed every day on all deliveries to the dairy.
3. Curdling
Once the milk has been pasteurised, our cheese-makers add rennet and starter cultures that help it to solidify. The resulting paste is chopped into pieces (cubes of various sizes), which is called curds. The curds are separated from the liquid, known as whey or lactoserum.
4.Moulding, draining & salting
Next come three stages that give your cheese its character and flavour. The curds are pressed into perforated moulds, where they drain for 24 hours. During the moulding stage, the cheese takes on its final shape. Once drained and turned out of the mould, our cheese is salted to bring out the flavours. Salting also gives the cheese its colour and ensures that it keeps for longer.
5. Maturing
Our Le Rustique cheeses are matured in ripening rooms for around 8-14 days, depending on the product. This crucial stage is monitored by our master cheese-makers, who pay particular attention to the temperature and humidity of the maturing cellars, lavishing care and love on our cheeses.
6. Packing
To enable the maturation to continue, developing the texture and flavour, Le Rustique Camembert is wrapped in special cheese-makers’ paper, before being placed in its burnt wooden box with its famous Gingham cloth, recognisable by its red and white check. To ensure respect for the environment, the wood for the boxes comes from sustainably-managed French forests.
