Shopping bag.

But whilst these ideas of value and appreciation are appealing and applaudable, the question was overhanging of how this can be incorporated into all of our everyday lives, in an accessible and affordable way. Artisanal produce is, without a doubt, better than the industrial, commodity sort. We can all be persuaded by Clara’s story. But she acknowledges that “it’s a very difficult conversation”, that “a lot of people, even being aware of the value of these products, are not going to be able to access them”.She explains, however, that the important thing to realise is that eating properly is not necessarily much more expensive than eating badly. It’s all about the value for what we are paying: we pay slightly more, for a vastly more valuable product. For food that is ‘real’. Food that is consistent in nutrition.

And more significantly, it is not all about the cost, but about the way in which we all consume. We can all rethink how we consume, to not eat in a mindless way, just to feed ourselves. We can question where our food comes from and how it was made, we can appreciate the flavours and textures, without it impacting our spending.

This is what we can all do as individuals, to change the way we consume and experience food. Clara herself makes an exercise of it: she thinks about where the food she’s eating has come from, questions “why this egg has this colour” and what that means. “It’s all about being a bit more conscious and philosophical in how we eat” she says, “thinking about it rather than just eating”.

And while she thinks about eating, Clara is also writing about it. She excitedly shared the news that she is writing a book, and also her dream to spread Formaje to other countries. Because, after all, “the mission of our company is to take this message about artisan cheese as far as possible and to connect as many people as possible with the consumption of good, proper cheese”.

If there’s one thing Clara wants us to take from Formaje, it’s kindness. Something she believes we are losing, along with this act of appreciation. “We want to be a kind company. An honest company”. And she returns to that word, ‘human’. Formaje is a human company, that wants to do things “in a way that is best for everyone, that can involve everyone”. And the value of artisanal cheese really lies in connecting to what’s human.

By Amber Haslam for Semaine.
Photography by Dario Vázquez.