Nestled in the pristine environs of the Kumaon Himalayas, Darima Farms was established in the year 2016.
It was SaurabhVinayak and ArvindChawla’s vision to make artisanal cheese using only culture and microbial rennet. They did not want to use any preservatives or additives to standardize the milk.This meant they had to take into account that the milk will change with the seasons and that the cattle feed would need to be closely monitored. By doing this they have been able to ensure the cows get the right kind of nutrition required to optimize the milk for cheese making.
Named after the village Darima, the farm is situated at an altitude of 7000 ft and is surrounded by thick oak and rhododendron forest.
Darima Farms made a modest beginning, working initially with just five cows and 30 litres of milk. The first few cheeses that came out by November that year were not such a success but an essential part of the learning curve.
Two local women – Pritam Bhatty and Sarita, with no previous knowledge or experience of cheese making (but oodles of enthusiasm) were initiated into this project. They were quick to learn and understood the nuances of flavors and the methods of cheese making. Today, both Sunita and Sarita have become expert cheese makers in their own right.
The team has expanded since then as has our repertoire of cheeses that we excel in, apart from two cheese makers trained in Italy, Deven Chauhan and Pritam, we also have Bobby, Shikha and Kanchan. Bhuvan manages all the practical aspects of running the dairy, collecting milk and dispatching cheese. In addition to cheese making, Deven takes care of all things technical with regard to the cheese vats, the aging rooms and whey treatment unit.