Belle Chevre Creamery
Belle Chevre Creamery, Betta than Feta was the OJI Fibre Solutions Best in Class Goats Milk Cheese at the NZ Champions of Cheese Awards 2024. A medal winner in 2021 and 2002, the feta from the Waipu artisan cheesemaker is made in the traditional Greek way, with goat’s milk from the Belle Chevre farm and sold in brine, making it easy to store. Here’s their story…
It’s the dreams of Monday morning golf or meticulously manicured gardens that many approaching retirement look forward to. For Jennifer and David Rodrigue, approaching retirement called for the sounds of bells as goats run around their idyllic 40-acre property in Waipū. This is the home and heart of Belle Chevre Creamery.
Jennifer has always had a passion for goat's cheese. She noticed upon immigrating from the United States that New Zealand did not have much goat cheese. Embracing the DIY attitude strongly associated with her new home, Jennifer decided “I better make it myself”. So in the Christmas period of 2015, the couple bought a few goats and began making goat cheese.
Belle Chevre took up the job quickly… and successfully. They asserted their excellence in the first competitions they entered through a local A&P show in 2019 – taking away golds and first places from the get-go. These achievements prompted their entry in the NZ Champions of Cheese Awards the same year, where they took away the Curds & Whey Champion Homecrafted Cheesemaker and Cheese Award. Belle Chevre has continued to prove its ability at these Awards, acquiring medals every year since its initial entrance - including some notable awards in 2022 and 2023.
Belle Chevre have a zest for creativity and their range of goat cheese is vast. From a classic style Chevre to their goats-milk Manchego (named Manchegoat) and even their own version of Halloumi (named Zalloumi) which won the OJI Fibre Solutions Champion Goat Milk Cheese Trophy in 2023. This followed their win of the Good George Brewery Innovation Award the previous year for their Raspberry Bonbons; balls of raspberry and honey-infused goat cheese, covered in Whittakers Dark Chocolate. Jennifer is grateful for the medals in particular, explaining, “It is important getting the judges’ feedback to know that you’ve made that cheese properly.”
Belle Chevre Creamery is proudly paddock to plate. Their cheese is made purely from their own herd of roughly 50 goats. Jennifer elaborates, “The goats are milked once a day… every day, and I make the cheese every day, seven days a week”.
They work at least 12 hours a day, sacrificing holidays such as Christmas and Easter for the sake of creating the fresh and clean taste that their cheese is praised for. The wellbeing of the goats is however never sacrificed, renowned for their princess treatment. Although each goat delivers two kids every season, Belle Chevre’s no-kill policy ensures justice for the animals. Homes are found for the kids and a recently-attracted export contract will see some goats going to Korea to improve their herd.
Belle Chevre Creamery has also undertaken a new venture this past year; they have opened a shop in their village of Waipū. The idea developed among a group of producers from the monthly Roving Rural Market, where Belle Chevre primarily sold their cheese. These producers found it difficult to keep products for the monthly market, so Jennifer and David again harnessed their problem-solving nature and built a series of shops named Origin Northland. Located at 51 The Centre, the boutique-style grocery hosts only New Zealand-made products and is where you can now find the Belle Chevre Creamery shop.
Jennifer notes that they have no ambition to expand their business into supplying nationwide nor take on board many more goats. Instead, they plan to “grow the herd in quality, not quantity” through their breeding program (the aim being more milk from fewer animals), continue selling locally, and draw people to Waipū with their quality goat cheese.
Find out more about Belle Chevre at their website.
