Shepherd of the invisible, Gardener of my thoughts
About me
I was born in Esquivel, Seville, but I feel at home wherever my feet have taken me. I've always loved what's natural and real. After far too many years in banking—what stuck with me most was seeing a lot of Spain and meeting a few rebellious friends—I took a trip through the Aragonese Pyrenees, visited La Cañabla, and completely fell for the goats and the cheese. That was it—I knew I had to become a cheesemaker. There was no turning back.
When I got back to the Rambla de Oria, Isabel showed me how to make cheese for the first time. From there, it's been a long road, travelling all over to learn from the best. Always chasing the handmade, the traditional, the truly natural. There's just no other way.
“La cabra,
la cabra que no sabe
por dónde va,
la cabra que sigue
el monte por donde se le pasea el alma.”
“Murmuran que hablo muy poco
alma los que nada saben
de nuestros largos coloquios.”
“Las manos de mi abuela,unas manos de cuento.
Las manos de mi abuela…
Me duermo.”
Acknowledgements
To my mother, Carmen, and my sister, Rocío, for always being there and letting me just be (only those who are allowed to “be” know how important that is). To my grandmother and my aunt Isabel for showing me that calm is the way (always by my side). To Domi, just for being. To Isabel, for teaching me how to make my first cheese. To Luis, for saying my cheese tasted better than Isabel's and giving me wings. To Joel and Marisa, for believing in me and always being ready to help. To Borja—only we know what we've been through. To Yulene and Leon, for their invaluable technical help and their hugs. To Alan and Maureen, for bringing light when things were dark, and water when I was thirsty. To David Asher, for his book The Art of Natural Cheesemaking—my bible. To Ángel—I've never seen anyone with such a passion for teaching. To Rodolfo, for welcoming me so openly into his WellDone home. To all of you who've believed in me—there are so many of you. To Emma, Roberto, Marco, Rubén, Adrián and Alicia for being my most honest critics. THIS ONE'S FOR YOU!
