Quesería Cultivo

When you think about your business, what are you most proud of?

In not putting all the focus on selling a cheese, but on defending the producers and the work of a group of artisans and their way of adding value to the sector.

What is the history of your commerce?

It was born in 2014 as a very modest shop but in three months we were overwhelmed, we started with one person and soon after we were seven. Today we are 21 people in the Cultivo structure, not only in the Conde Duque and Gran Vía de San Francisco shops, but also in the distribution space. Everything has become more complex. We even opened corners in three bakeries in Madrid and a restaurant space in the Vallehermoso Market. Cantagrullas and Cultivo have become a model company, with very detailed management of all the departments.

What is your professional experience?

Rubén Valbuena, a geographer by profession who, after travelling the world as a UN consultant, decided to return to his homeland to invest (together with his wife, the Spanish-French Asela, and their four children) in sheeps cheese making. Nothing would have been possible without the collaboration of the herd owned by his sister and brother-in-law, made up of 1,500 Castilian breed sheep that live in the countryside all year round and enjoy a completely natural diet.

How has covid 19 affected your business?

Especially in the first months of confinement. We managed to survive thanks to the collaboration of all our suppliers and the help of all the customers who made their purchases through our website.

What services and products does your business provide?

Our proposal has always been based on cheeses with long fermentations, as opposed to the traditional Castilian pressed pastes, which are made much more quickly. We seek low PHs and to vindicate the autochthonous flora, cheeses with a greater aromatic substrate produced by the flora present in the milk, a differentiated texture. In short, unique cheeses with soft and lactic pastes, then cooked pastes and also large formats.
We also have a large selection of wines and beers chosen exclusively to pair with cheese, as well as jams, raw honey, anchovies... a small selection of gourmet products to make the experience of eating cheese even greater.