La Fromagerie Artisanale ETXALDIA Artisanal cheese dairy in the heart of the Aldudes Valley

In 2014, in the heart of the Aldudes Valley, a group of farmers founded the Aldudes cheese dairy. This cheese dairy was born from the farmers' desire to master the entire process of transforming milk into an exceptional product, right through to its commercialization. Today, the Aldudes cheese dairy has become the ETXALDIA artisanal cheese dairy. It brings together 35 sheep and cow breeders in a cooperative called "Aldudeko Esne Kooperatiba," which means the Aldudes dairy cooperative. The ETXALDIA cooperative and family cheese dairy produces and sells cheese, butter, and UHT milk.

An exceptional territory serving exceptional products

The ETXALDIA Artisanal Cheese Dairy is located in the heart of the Aldudes Valley , which includes three villages: BANCA, ALDUDES and UREPEL, nestled in the mountains of Lower Navarre . This area stretches for barely 30 km and has no more than 1,000 inhabitants. This remote location, protected by the mountains where France meets its border, is home to many gastronomic treasures : Banka Trout, the Kintoa PDO (of which the valley is the cradle) and the Irouléguy PDO vines.

100% local production

Today, the ETXALDIA artisanal cheese dairy, independent since its creation, still belongs to its farmers, but also to a family. The cooperative brings together 35 small farms, all located within a radius of approximately 50 km around the Aldudes cheese dairy. This proximity allows ETXALDIA to reduce its environmental impact, promote sustainable farming methods, and also limit the time between milk collection and processing. With such a short supply chain, ETXALDIA guarantees the exceptional quality of its products.

Handcrafted

With its small-scale workshop, the ETXALDIA cheese dairy has the capacity to produce only small batches. It is this scale that allows it to offer consumers quality products carefully crafted by the 3 to 4 dairy artisans present on the production site.

Artisanal knowledge and excellent products

Cheeses

ETXALDIA produces AOP OSSAU IRATY tommes as well as cheeses made from sheep's and cow's milk. The cheeses are uncooked pressed cheeses from the Pyrenees, as is customary in our country.

Butters

ETXALDIA offers a range of extra-fine butter. Extra-fine butter is made exclusively from unfrozen, but only pasteurized, cream. Production begins a maximum of 72 hours after milk collection, churning, and pasteurization, and a maximum of 48 hours after milk skimming. The butter is then churned, resulting in a unique and incomparable taste ! Everything is carefully crafted in our Aldudes workshop.

Milk

ETXALDIA semi-skimmed milk from the Basque Country comes from the cooperative 's Basque farms located within a 50 km radius of the cheese dairy. It is made exclusively from milk from our farms. ETXALDIA is a local, traceable milk that helps preserve local, sustainable agriculture.