Learn The Art Of Artisanal Cheesemaking At A Scenic Hillside Farmstay

Learn The Art Of Artisanal Cheesemaking At A Scenic Hillside Farmstay
Forbes India

What happens when a wildly successful Bollywood director leaves behind all the glitz and glamour, the tangible signs of a life well lived, and relocates to a remote farm in the middle of nowhere to make cheese? A wonderful coalition of nature, sustainability, and the art of cheesemaking that becomes the productive weekend of your dreams, that’s what. Productive being the operative word, though, so If you’re looking for a mini vacation where you laze around all day and eat yourself sick on room service, this farmstay may not be for you. However, if you’re among those of us who’re looking for an adventure with an educational value to boot, you’ll find the Acres Wild Cheesemaking Farmstay satiate all your curiosity about life at a farm on a hill.

Located in Coonoor, a small hill station in Nilgiri Hills, Tamil Nadu, Acres Wild encompasses a sprawling 22 acre farm complete with farm animals, ponds that are home to different types of fish, and vegetable patches. Mansoor Khan, the director who launched Amir Khan’s career, always yearned for life away from the bustling city and would often dream of escaping to calmer, more serene places. He finally managed to convince his wife, Tina, and two young children to move to Coonoor where they owned property. The family places great importance on self-sustaining practices and grow their own vegetables and herbs. It was a fine coincidence that the weather in Coonoor turned out to be pretty much ideal for cheesemaking and Tina took full advantage of this. She attended a similar farmstay in kodaikanal and learned how to make cheese. Half self-taught, half professional-taught, and fully determined, Tina started the Cheesemaking courses in their farmhouse.


The Khans have a personal approach to the educational getaway, requiring guests that wish to take the course to stay on campus in one of three kinds of cottages on offer: Colby Cottage, Cheddar House, and Haloumi House. The farm is on a hillside and can basically be divided into three levels, with Colby and Haloumi on the topmost levels, and Cheddar on the lowest level. On the middle level is where the Khan family quarters are along with the Dining and game rooms where meals are served. Their website alludes to the active nature of the program by mentioning the mild trek and moderately strenuous walk necessary to travel across the farm.

The basic cheesemaking course is a 2 day intensive session where you learn about the variety of cheeses, the difference between them, how to store them based on the kind of cheese, and of course, the actual process of making, pressing, and preserving cheese. You typically learn how to make two different kinds of cheese in the 2 day course, but should you wish to learn more, you’re welcome to extend the course by paying the predetermined price for each extra day you add. All the cheese you make is yours to keep, with extra instructions on how to keep it safe and delicious. They specialise in gourmet cheese - ricotta, mozzarella, halloumi, and different types of soft and hard cheeses - so much so that their cheese is now a significant part of Coonoor history.

Guests can indulge in a myriad of other activities as well on this stunning farm. Soap making, milking cows, planting trees, growing vegetables, fishing and feeding farm animals, among many others. And if you’re lucky, you might also spot a bison or an elephant that frequently cross property lines to wander in the farm grounds.

The Wild Acres Farmstay is an immersive experience that promises a lot of rewards for the peaceful, eco-friendly, curious traveller. Championing self-sustainability, the Khan family embraces everything organic on their idyllic farmhouse in Coonoor, and they don’t shy away from sharing their love for all of it with anyone who is interested. As cheesy as it sounds, pun intended, you’re guaranteed a fulfilling getaway on this Southern hill station.

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