Jean-Bernard MAITIA:

Artzain, Urkulu and Aincille

Son and grandson of Basque shepherds

Jean-Bernard Maitia is one of those men who, through their work, their know-how and their convictions, pay tribute to their elders every day without doubting the future.

Know-how and convictions

Jean-Bernard Maitia is recognized for his exceptional know-how, whether for the production of summer cheese, produced in the mountains at an altitude of over 1,400m during the transhumance, and matured in the mountains, or for the breeding of milk-fed lamb sought after by starred chefs in the Basque country but also in various regions of France.

A Slow Food sentinel for several years, Jean-Bernard Maitia is the voice of respectful peasant agriculture and the production of summer cheese made from raw milk from three local breeds: Basco-Béarnaise, Manech tête rousse and Manech tête noire.

Jean-Bernard Maitia is at the head of a flock of 300 black-headed Manech sheep.

Local and rustic, the black-headed manech (manex in Basque) is the minority breed of the three local breeds whose milk is used to make Ossau-Iraty raw milk sheep's cheese.

Breeding that respects nature and animal welfare

In winter, Jean-Bernard Maitia's sheep benefit from fodder from untreated meadows on his farm near Saint Jean Pied de Port. In summer, they benefit from the pastures of the Basque mountains during the transhumance period from May to October.

Jean-Bernard Maitia does everything by hand

From milking the sheep by hand to making a few summer cheeses a day, Jean-Bernard Maita does everything by hand. This is the secret to the quality of his products.

Summer cheese

The long maturing of the mountain cheeses in its own salting room, the natural feeding of the sheep, and an incredible skill give a mountain cheese with delicate and remarkable aromas.