Meet the cheesemaking monks in Bengaluru

The Vallombrosa Benedictine Congregation in Bengaluru weathered lockdown by selling 10 varieties of cheeses — from Parmesan to mascarpone — to apartments, and starting a goat farm. Now, they ship across India!

After 15 years of making cheese, the monks of Vallombrosa Bendictine Congregation were determined to keep going, despite through the challenges of the pandemic.

Sold under the brand name Vallombrosa Cheese, named after the order’s monastery in Tuscany, Italy, the venture produces 10 kinds of artisanal cheese. Although many restaurants and hotels, their main customers, downed shutters, word-of-mouth publicity for their brand ensured that there were buyers right at home in .

“About 60 apartment complexes in Bengaluru buy from us directly, a service that we began during the lockdown. We have our own delivery staff and that kept us going during the lockdown, helping us pay the wages of our workers and preventing any layoffs,” says Father Jins, present head of the Vallombrosa Bendictine Congregation at KR Puram in Bengaluru.