The Catharinadal cheese farm

The Catharinadal cheese farm occupies a site where Franciscan nuns lived for centuries. The Boonen family lives and works at this historic farm near the centre of Achel. In 1990, brothers Bert and Peter started making their own butter and cheese with the milk produced by some 60 cows. Later on the range was supplemented with herb cheese and yoghurt and nowadays, they sell about 210 home-made dairy products, including the now world-famous ‘Grevenbroecker’ blue-veined cheese. In 2009, this cheese won the ‘Caseus Award’ in Lyon, which is considered the world cheese championships. Catharinadal's main basic product is fresh milk. This is produced by some 100 red and white long-lived cows that graze on the farm’s 20 hectares of grass and clover. Thanks to the daily fresh milk, Catharinadal can provide the best guarantee for fresh cheese, ice cream and dairy products. They make cheese as it was traditionally made 500 years ago in the Kempen, a natural product from raw milk that contains no additives apart from salt.